The Snow Queen
by Ryaninthesky
Summary: Henry goes missing while exploring a cave and it's up to Emma and Regina to find him, leading them on an adventure through fairy tale land. Very loosely based on 'the snow queen' fairy tale
1. Prologue

Once upon a time, in a land not so far away, there was a young boy named Henry.

Henry was a good little boy, and very smart for his age. He lived in a town named Storybrooke with the Evil Queen, who had adopted him when he was a baby. He did not know then that his adopted mother was the Evil Queen, of course. He was as happy as a boy could expect to be, and the Evil Queen made sure that all of his wants and needs were taken care of.

On his tenth birthday, his teacher gave him an old storybook. Privately he thought that he was too big now for fairy tales, but he was a good boy so he thanked Ms. Blanchard and ran home so he could open his other presents.

That night, surrounded by the books and games and – sigh - new clothes his mother had given him, he opened the book and was surprised to see that it was blank. Flipping through the pages he realized that all of them were blank. Deciding that he would ask Ms. Blanchard about the book at school the next day, Henry turned off his light and settled into bed. As he fell asleep, he didn't notice as the book lightly began to glow.

The next morning, after eating breakfast far too quickly for his mother's liking, Henry grabbed the book and shoved it into his bag on his way to school. He brought it out as soon as he got there, intending to show it to Ms. Blanchard, when it fell open on his desk and he saw that it was full of stories. He was shocked. He was sure it had been empty last night, but there was no way the pictures could just have appeared overnight! Pale and shaken, Henry returned the book to his bag and tried to concentrate on school. He would have to look at the book more this evening.

After several days, Henry had read all the stories in the book several times over. They weren't like any fairy tales he'd ever heard before, and several pages seemed to have been left blank. All of the stories came together in a curse and an Evil Queen who had banished them all to Storybrooke. He wondered if someone in the town had written it, but there was no author listed. When more than a week he still didn't know how the story ended, but something kept drawing him back to this book and its mysteries. So when the book revealed that a little boy named Henry had been adopted by the Evil Queen, and that his long-lost birth mother was both Snow White's daughter and the key to breaking the curse, he began researching private locating services on the internet in his spare time.

XxXx

Henry was having a very good day. It was a Saturday and any day he didn't have school was definitely a good day. He was certain that Snow White and Prince James were starting to get their memories back, townspeople were beginning to side with Emma against the Evil Queen, and even the prospect of breaking the curse didn't seem as daunting as it usually did.

He was having such a good day, in fact, that he took advantage of his mother's long work hours to get some planning done on operation cobra. Settling into a chair with the large book in his lap, he flipped to a promising story about the Evil Queen and a dragon. The Evil Queen was asking the dragon to protect something very important to her with the rest of his treasures. There was just something about this story that tug at the back of Henry's brain. If he could just figure out what it was...

He nearly smacked himself on the forehead when it came to him. Of course! The Haunted Cave, just outside of town!

It was a old tourist attraction, or at least it would have been if Storybrooke had ever had tourists. Now it was merely an few abandoned buildings and a boarded up cave entrance. But Henry was on a roll, and he thought that the cave deserved a little exploring, even if he came up empty. And if his hunch was correct, he might find something they could use against the Evil Queen in the final battle!

Henry raided the kitchen for snacks and gathered up a rope, flashlight, screwdriver and anything else he could think of that might be useful in a trip to a cave, congratulating himself when he remembered that caves were cold and he would need his jacket. With a renewed sense of determination, Henry set out for the edge of town, grabbing his walkie-talkie so he could fill in Emma on the way there.

XxXx

Emma Swan was having a miserable day. There was so much paperwork to be filled out in the Sheriff's office that she was seriously considering setting fire to it all and locking herself up in the holding cell for a quick nap. To add insult to injury, the Mayor had been down to 'check-up' on her so often that Emma was starting to believes that she had created all of these forms just to torture her. So it was that she greeted the crackle of her radio with much more glee than usual. The speaker crackled with static and she cursed the small-town budget that was barely keeping up with her coffee addiction.

"Emma! I think I have something big...Operation Cobra..."

"Henry? Where are you, I cant hear..."

"The cave. She's hiding something in there, something important. I know we need to find it."

Emma swore carefully under her breath, not wanting Henry to hear.

"Stay where you are. I'll come meet you and we'll check it out together, okay?"

"Okay, I'll look around and see if I can find a place where we can get in. Over and out!"

"Henry, wait, don't..."  
>There was no answer from the other side. Henry must have turned off his radio. Dammit. She was so not in the mood to deal with fairy-tale creatures today, but she had better get her ass to that cave before Henry managed to get into something he couldn't get out of. If she didn't already know that he was her kid, there would have been no doubt after seeing the trouble he managed to find his way into. Like mother, like son. She just hoped someone at the cafe could give her directions to the damn place.<p>

Storybrooke was a surprisingly spread out town and it took Emma a good fifteen minutes and one illegal u-turn to find the 'Haunted Cave.' Whether there was any truth in the name or not, the place gave her the creeps. She had never liked confined spaces and a tiny cave with who-knew-what inside it did not sound like her idea of a fun afternoon. Why couldn't curse-breaking and hero-ing ever happen in magic-fun-happy-land instead of a place called 'The most haunted cavern in Maine?'

With a jolt, Emma noticed that Henry was not waiting for her out front like a good boy. Nor was he on either side of the entrance, or even hiding anywhere that she could find. Which just left... Her fears were confirmed when she found that one of the boards covering the entrance to the cave had been pried loose, providing just enough room for a ten-year-old boy to slip through. "Henry!" She yelled into the cave, hoping that the boy was still near enough to hear her. However, she heard only the echo of her own voice. Trying to control the fear she felt rising in her chest, Emma grabbed onto the other boards and pulled furiously, trying to widen the entrance so she could find Henry. How strong could old, rotten two by fours be, anyway?

Strong enough, apparently, as she conceded the fight with only splinters and bloodied hands to show for her efforts. With a groan, she pulled out her cellphone and reluctantly dialed the Mayor's office. Regina was going to kill her...

XxXx

"How could you let this happen, Sheriff Swan?" Regina growled forcefully at Emma, practically running her over as she pulled up to the entrance of the cave, tires squealing and gravel flying.

"Henry called me and told me to meet him at this cave. I told him to wait, but by the time I got here he was already inside. Instead of blaming me, we need to be focusing on getting in there and getting Henry back before he gets lost or hurt!" Emma had been through quite enough today, thank you, and she was not about to let some bitch in a power suit keep her from finding her son. "Did you bring the tools."

"Of course." Regina was already opening up the trunk of her car and pulling out a crowbar, rope, jeans, and...was she stripping?

Emma whirled around, blushing furiously as the Mayor kicked off her shoes and pulled down her skirt. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Changing. Or did you think I was going after my lost son in heels?"

"But, but..." Emma was at a complete loss to describe the utter insanity of this situation.

The Mayor breezed past her in jeans, hiking boots, and a sweatshirt, somehow managing to look just as intimidating as she did in her office. "Honestly, I didn't think you were such a prude." She tossed a crowbar to Emma and looked slightly disappointed when the Sheriff caught it before it hit her in the face. "Now help me get these boards off."

Emma just glared at the Mayor and attacked to wooden planks with newfound strength. Between the two of them they were able to remove most of the wood. Regina called out Henry's name several times but received no answer. Emma was about to make a sarcastic comment about Regina's failure when she caught a shadow of worry and fear pass over the other woman's face. There was just something about the dark woman that got under Emma's skin, driving her to challenge the woman's authority at every turn. Now was not the time for their petty rivalry.

"There are two bags in my car. Get them."

Of course, it didn't mean Regina was going to make it easier on her.

Regina set down her tool, raising her hand to run through her hair. With only a moment's hesitation she pulled her cell phone from her pocket and called the newspaper editor.

"Hello, Sydney? No, I'm not fine. Henry's gone missing, and I think he's in the old cave. The Sheriff and I are going in to look for him. We can't wait, he might be lost or hurt. I need you to get the volunteer firefighters together and call up Dr. Whale. Tell them to get down here, immediately." Without waiting for an answer she hung up on him, certain that her orders would be obeyed. She turned to Emma. "I know we don't always see things the same way, Ms. Swan, but there is a boy in there who needs our help, and it would be incredibly stupid for one of us to go in alone. So please just follow me and try not to get hurt."

'She'll be lucky if I don't push her down a hole' Emma thought, but schooled her face into a mask of indifference and motioned for Regina to go in front of her.

The two women plunged into the inky darkness of the cave, sweeping the narrow path with their flashlights as they moved deeper into the earth. Emma willed herself to focus on every tiny detail in the beam of her light, any small clue that would lead them to Henry. Suddenly, she grasped at Regina's arm, stopping her in her tracks.

"Look!"

Shining up at them on the floor was a candy-bar wrapper. Feeling the first stirrings of hope, Emma swept her light even further ahead, allowing herself a small smile as she found another wrapper about ten feet ahead. "He's leaving us a trail."

Emma could feel Regina's body relax underneath her hand in relief. "When we get out of here, I'm going to let him eat as much candy as he wants. And then ground him until he's thirty!"

Emma allowed herself to share in Regina's relief, in the common love they held for the small boy. "Sounds fair to me. Let's go."

This time Emma took the lead, carefully following the trail of candy wrappers deeper into the cave, pausing every so often to call out Henry's name. How could such a small kid have traveled so far so fast?

They had been walking for nearly twenty minutes when the first pebble clattered down the flat plane of rock to roll in front of Emma's feet. She stopped up so short that Regina almost ran into her, opening her mouth to complain until Emma furiously shushed her. Straining to listen the the wet sounds around them, Emma heard an ominous shifting and groaning from above, then the sharp crack of stone giving way. She flung Regina in front of her, diving into the darkness to narrowly avoid the thousands of pounds of earth falling down around them. Something hit her head with a kaleidoscope of pain, and she spun into unconsciousness.

XxXx

"Emma...Emma, wake up."

Emma opened her eyes and immediately regretted it. She was lying on the floor of the cave with her head resting on her backpack, and Regina Mills of all people offering her a small plastic cup of water.

Gingerly she took stock of her body. Fingers and toes seemed to be all there, and in their proper places. The wound on her head had been bandaged, another surprise.

"How are you feeling?"

"Like hell. Better be careful Mayor, or I might start thinking you cared."

Regina glared at her. "Since you're acting with your usual grace and charm I'll take that as a yes. Can you stand?"

"I think so. Give me a hand." Regina looked like that was the last thing in the world she wanted to do, but obliged. "What happened?"

"There was a cave-in. I tried moving some of the rocks while you were out, but there's no way we'll be able to get back through there without risking the whole structure falling down on us. We'll have to keep going forward until we find another way out."

Emma groaned, and not just from the pain in her head. Trapped in a death cave with Regina fucking Mills. The gods must really hate her. "At least we still have our bags."

Regina shook her head. "I have mine. Yours is under several tons of rock."

"Lovely." Emma grabbed Regina's hand and started forward. Regina jerked her back.

"What exactly are you doing, Sheriff?"  
>"Look, Mayor. We only have one working flashlight and I probably have some sort of brain injury. I am not about to be left behind, trip, hit my head or be eaten by a cave monster, so you're just going to have to deal with a little hand-holding until we get the hell out of here." She tightened her grip around the hand in question.<p>

"Ms. Swan, has anyone ever told you you are incredibly annoying?"

Emma grinned. "All the time."

They walked in silence, Regina leading and Emma following. The pounding in her head was getting worse, but she refused to slow down. They had to make it out of here sometime, right? She didn't even know how big this cave was. The Mayor probably did, though. She seemed to know everything else about this town. Emma suddenly stopped, causing Regina to stumble slightly.

"You really need to stop doing that."

"Wait...do you feel that?"

"What?"

"The air. It's moving." In the dim light Emma could see Regina staring at her uncomprehendingly. "It's moving against us, so it must be coming from somewhere. There has to be an opening ahead!"

The Mayor's eyes widened slightly in relief, and she quickened their pace. She would get out of here, she would find Henry, and she would get rid of the owner of the annoyingly clammy hand clasping her own!

Finally they saw it, a pinprick of light in the distance that got larger with every step. The women were practically running at this point, desperate to get out of the damp, dead blackness of the cave. The opening was small, really just a hole in the ground, but wide enough that they could crawl through without too much trouble. Regina emerged first, dropping Emma's hand the second her grip weakened, pushing bushes and overgrowth out of the way with perhaps a bit more force than was strictly necessary. She squinted in the bright sunlight, letting its warmth wash over her, hearing Emma sit down heavily on the ground. As their eyes adjusted to the light, Emma let out a gasp and nearly scrambled back down into the cave. Far above them, a dragon screeched and blew fire, wheeling in midair to disappear to the north.

Regina turned to the Sheriff, emotions playing across her face too quickly for Emma to process them. She gestured expansively to the forest.

"Welcome to the land of fairy tales, Ms. Swan."

XxXx

Henry ran his hands over walls made of ice. Even though the whole room was frozen and his breath came in puffs, he didn't feel cold.

He had explored a little bit of the cave while waiting for Emma, leaving a trail of candy wrappers so he could find his way out if he got lost. After a few minutes, he had given up his search and decided it would be a much better idea to wait outside where it was warm and dry. When he had stepped out from the mouth of the cave, a brilliant white light had blinded him, and by the time he could see again, he was here. Wherever here was.

With nothing better to do, Henry sat down on the floor, pulled his book from his bag, and began to read.


	2. Chapter 1, part 1

**~* The Flower Garden of the Woman Who Could Conjure *~**

**Part I  
><strong>

"_Near yonder narrow road stands an old knight's castle; thick ivy creeps over the old ruined walls, leaf over leaf, even to the balcony, in which stands a beautiful maiden. She bends over the balustrades, and looks up the road. No rose on its stem is fresher than she; no apple-blossom, wafted by the wind, floats more lightly than she moves. Her rich silk rustles as she bends over and exclaims, 'Will she not come?' _

XxXx

"Holy shit."

Emma stared up at Regina, her mouth hanging open. "And you...you're..."

"the 'Evil Queen', yes."

"Holy shit."

"I believe we've established that, Sheriff Swan."

"How hard did I hit my head?"

"Not hard enough, in my opinion." With a wave of her hand and a tiny 'pop', Regina summoned a chair next to Emma and sat down, looking for all the world like it was just another perfectly normal day.

Emma suddenly noticed that furniture was appearing out of thin air and jumped to her feet. "Holy!"

"Shit. Really, if you're going to do this every time something magical happens I'm going to have to put a muzzle on you." A slow smile spread across Regina's face at the thought. "I may just do it anyway."

Emma chose to ignore that particular statement. Instead, she took in the new world in front of her. Not that there was much to see, really. They were in a deep green forest, with trees surrounding them as far as she could see. As far as places to get stuck with an evil queen were concerned, she supposed the middle of a deep dark forest was pretty standard. "So what do we do now?"

"Keep walking until we find a road or a village. Find out where we are, and where Henry is, and how we can back to Storybrooke."

Emma looked at Regina wide-eyed, although the mayor couldn't tell if the expression was directed at her or the world in general.

"Just like that?"  
>"Unless you have a better idea?"<p>

"Can't you just, y'know, do the poofy thing and get us out of here?"

"Magic is not just some 'poofy thing.' It takes a lot of energy to maintain. Without knowing where I'm going, we could wind up in the middle of a tree. I'm not going to risk it, although I'll be perfectly happy to send you if you want to take that chance." Regina looked down at herself. "And we're going to need new clothes."

"What's wrong with our clothes?"  
>Regina gave her an incredulous glance. "Have you ever heard of a story where the characters went around in jeans and t-shirts? We need to blend in as much as possible." She stood back, measuring Emma with her eyes, then murmured a few words under her breath. Another small 'pop' and a stack of neatly folded clothes appeared in her hands. She handed them to Emma. "Here. These should fit."<p>

Emma turned away from Regina to change into her new outfit. Although she couldn't really say she'd given fairy tale clothes much thought before today, they were surprisingly comfortable, if a little loose. Dark green woolen pants, white linen shirt, and a leather belt wasn't too much of a stretch, thank god, and Regina handed her a dark leather jacket as well. She supposed her boots had been deemed fairy land appropriate when Regina just frowned and motioned for her to turn around once more. Definitely not interested in seeing the mayor change clothes, Emma hurriedly spun around.

"You can turn around now Sheriff, I'm decent. We should start walking if we want to have any hope of finding civilization before nightfall."

Regina was wearing much the same outfit as Emma herself and transferring their few belongings from her backpack to a leather bag. The blonde couldn't help but noticed that the mayor's clothes fit much better than Emma's own. 'Probably just to annoy me.' Emma grumbled to herself. "Which way?"

Regina slowly circled the small clearing, then set off purposefully to the east. Emma shrugged and followed her. She didn't see any reason to head in that direction over any other, but hey, what did she know about this world anyway. All she was really sure of was that there was no way she was going to be left alone in the middle of nowhere.

They walked along in silence for the better part of an hour, until Emma just couldn't take it any longer. She had to know.

"It's all true, isn't it?"

"Is what true?"

"Henry's book. You really did curse the people of Storybrooke." 'Are Mary Margaret and James really my parents?' She didn't say.

Regina stared straight ahead, refusing to look at Emma. "_That book_ is a collection of stories, Ms. Swan. Nothing more."

"And the curse?"

"Don't think you that listening to the fantasies of a ten year old boy and reading a few pages in a book puts you in a position to judge me, Ms. Swan. You don't know anything." Though she never looked at her, Emma could feel the energy rolling off of the mayor in waves. For a moment, she could truly see the evil queen who held the fate of a world in her grasp. But she knows stories, too, knows how things get twisted and perverted in the telling and re-telling. Emma doesn't know much about this messed up fairy tale, but the one thing she does know is that Regina loves Henry more than anyone and anything else in either world. Until she finds out the truth of things for herself, she will hold on to that.

Regina is pouring all of her pent-up anger into a forced march through the trees, and Emma has to run to keep up with her.

It's just before nightfall when they climb over a small hill and stumble upon a village. Grey smoke curls upward into the dying sun above thatched roofs and it looks like every picturesque town Emma's seen in every storybook ever. She almost laughs to herself, somewhere between relief and disbelief, but Regina's leaving her behind. They haven't spoken since Emma brought up the curse, and Regina suddenly breaks the silence.

"There's got to be an inn around here somewhere. Just keep quiet and follow me. Villages like this don't get many visitors so we'll draw attention whatever we do, but I don't want any more than is necessary."

Emma frowned. "Look, just because you used to be the queen of this world or whatever, don't think you can keep bossing me around like this.." Regina rounded on her, anger warring on her face with other emotions Emma couldn't define. "Emma! We are stranded in a completely different world and I don't know where or even when we are! Henry is here, I can feel it, but we'll never find him if you keep questioning me at every turn. Will you just listen to reason for once?"

Emma stared at Regina in awe. "You called me Emma..."

A strangled cry came helplessly from Regina's throat as she threw her hands up in frustration. Emma quickly realized that pissing off an Evil Queen any more than she already had might be a bad idea. "I got it, I got it. You're the boss."

Regina took a moment to contain the frustration that seemed to find her whenever she was in Emma Swan's presence. What she wouldn't give for some aspirin and a glass of apple cider right now. There were some things in that other world that had been definite improvements on this one. "I'm glad we've finally gotten that settled. If anyone asks, we're travelers just passing through. Hopefully we can find beds and a hot meal for tonight. Tomorrow, we can find out where we are and see if anyone knows about Henry."

Emma nodded. She was still unhappy about having to take orders from Regina, but finding Henry was at the forefront of her mind now and Regina did know her way around this world a lot better than she did. She would just have to put up with Regina the Bitch Queen for the time being.

XxXx

The inn was nothing like Emma thought it would be. There was no roaring fire, no large common room with instruments or animal heads on the wall. The two-story structure was easily the largest in the village, but smaller even than Granny's Bed and Breakfast. There were two communal tables in an open kitchen with benches on either side, and the few people seated around them looked up suspiciously when they walked in. After a moment, a large woman approached them, wiping her hands on a ratty towel.

"Ye two're new to town. Travelers, then?"

Emma opened her mouth to reply but Regina cut her off, speaking more politely than Emma believed her capable of. "Yes ma'am. My friend and I need two rooms for tonight, and food."

The woman looked them up and down openly, as if assessing a potential threat. "My name's Martha, an' yer welcome to use it. There's only one room so ye'll have to bunk together, but the bed's large enough. 'Tis two marks for the night, one for meals tomorrow if ye want them. Ye've come past the dinner hour tonight but I can get ye something with the cost o' yer room if yer hungry."

Regina produced two gold coins from somewhere in her bag. "Will these do?"

Martha took on of the coins and bit it, then held it up to the dim light of the fire. "They're gold sure, but I've never seen the like. Where're ye from that ye don't know the queen's marks?" She narrowed her eyes at Regina. "If yer in trouble I'll have none of it in my inn."

"I assure you, we're not in any trouble. We're just travelers who wanted to spend the night in a warm bed. But if you're not interested, give me back my gold and we'll be on our way."

Martha thought for a long moment, rubbing her jaw with a calloused hand. She felt in her bones that these two women spelled trouble, but even one of those gold coins was more than she might make in a month, and from the look of the brunette there was more yet to be had. A noble's daughter running away, like as not, with a servant girl for company. Who knew? If the father came looking he might pay well for news of his daughter's whereabouts.

"There's no need for that, now. Never let it be said that Martha set two poor women out into the cold night!" She turned to the darkness of a hallway and yelled "Chris!" A small, blonde boy bounded out of the shadows.

"Yes mom?"

"Show these two ladies up to the guest room and make sure they have everything they need, then come straight down. Ye still have work to do b'fore bedtime."

The small boy gazed up at them excitedly. They rarely got visitors and since he was the one who got to see them first, all of the other kids would be begging him to tell them all about the mysterious strangers. It made him feel awfully important.

Chris grabbed Regina's hand with a quick "follow me!" leading them up a flight of narrow stairs. There was a small hallway on the second story, and two rooms across from each other. Chris opened the door on the left and ushered them into the room with a small bow. It was pitch black, with no windows, and Chris hurried to light a candle on a rough wooden table. The flickering illumination did little to improve the appearance of the room. There was a low stool next to the table, and an equally rough bed. The two person occupancy had been perhaps a bit overstated by the innkeeper, but it looked warm and soft enough that Emma just wanted to collapse into it.

Regina pressed a copper coin into Chris' hand with a smile. "Could you ask your mother to bring us some bread and cheese?" For the coin clutched in his sweaty palm, Chris probably would have done anything she asked.

"Yes ma'am!" Chris disappeared down the stairs, and Regina carefully closed the door.

"Well, it's not a palace, but I suppose it will have to do."

Emma lay down on the bed and kicked her shoes up, prompting a disapproving frown from Regina. She pointedly ignored it, irrationally happy to get some power back after being forced into the background in the inn. "He's a cute kid."

Something very near a smile ghosted across Regina's face. "Yes, he is."

"Don't worry, Regina. If you're sure Henry's in this world, we'll find him."

"He's here, Ms. Swan. I should be able to go straight to him, but something is blocking my magic. Or, more likely, someone. If we can find out what land we're in, I can...convince the queen to help us."

"Finding people's kinda my thing, Queenie. Someone in this place has to know something. Kids don't just disappear into thin air."

Emma tried – although not too hard – to hide a smirk as she felt Regina glaring at her. It was so easy to push her buttons sometimes. The woman was practically bristling with rage.

"Ms. Swan, just because we are trapped together does not give you the right to give me nicknames!"

Emma just shrugged. "You're right, that's not very creative, is it? I'll think up a better one."

"You will do no such thing!"

Regina was starting to seriously consider that Emma would be much easier to get along with as a frog or slug or some other unpleasant animal when a sharp rapping announced a presence at the door. She stalked to the door and yanked it open. Martha stood solidly in the doorway with a plate of warm, crusty bread, cheese, and two mugs. "I thought ye could use some mead as well after a long day in the hot sun. If ye need anything else my room's across the hall."

Emma put on her best smile and answered before Regina could say anything. "We'll be just fine, thank you Martha."

Martha looked back and forth between the two of them, trying to figure them out, but obviously decided that is was not worth the headache. She placed the plate and mugs on the table and closed the door behind her.

Famished, Emma bounded off the bed and wolfed down her half of the meal, pleasantly surprised at the honey taste of the mead. Regina, as usual, ate in small, controlled bites. Emma found herself wanting to crack that perfectly controlled exterior. It just wasn't natural for someone to show so little emotion! She stole a pensive bite of Regina's cheese, earning herself an annoyed glare. "I don't know about you, but I'm beat. I'm going to bed." Emma silently removed everything but her shirt and underwear, throwing her clothes in a pile by Regina's bag. She slipped into the bed with a low groan. Her muscles were already tightening up; she was going to hurt like hell tomorrow. Not to mention that her head was starting to pound again. It had been an incredibly fucked up day and she thought she deserved a little comfort. If only she didn't have to share it with the Wicked Witch of the West.

A small puff and the room was plunged into darkness. With a soft creak, the bed dipped and a warm body filled the space next to her. Emma scooted as close to her side of the bed as possible to avoid any accidental contact with Regina.

"You better not kick in your sleep."  
>"Ms. Swan, you have no idea what I'm capable of."<p>

Emma suppressed a small snort of laughter, closing her eyes and willing her body to relax. Before long, she was sound asleep.

**A/N: I hope you guys liked this chapter. Reviews are like crack, but seriously, if you see something that I've messed up let me know. Otherwise, the next bit will probably be up very soon. It's sad, how much I love this pairing.**


	3. Chapter 1, part 2

**~* The Flower Garden of the Woman Who Could Conjure *~**

**Part II**

"_Near yonder narrow road stands an old knight's castle; thick ivy creeps over the old ruined walls, leaf over leaf, even to the balcony, in which stands a beautiful maiden. She bends over the balustrades, and looks up the road. No rose on its stem is fresher than she; no apple-blossom, wafted by the wind, floats more lightly than she moves. Her rich silk rustles as she bends over and exclaims, 'Will she not come?'"_

XxXx

Emma Swan groaned and stretched. She'd had the strangest dream last night. There was a cave, and Henry had disappeared, and it turned out that the Mayor really was an evil queen from fairy tale land. This town was really starting to get to her...wait...

Emma slowly turned her head to where her outstretched arm had encountered a very warm, very real Mayor Mills. Her eyes widened and she scrambled to get as far away from the sleeping woman as the bed would allow. Either Ruby had put something very, very bad in her hot chocolate last night or she really was in a living fairy tale. Quickly canvasing the unfamiliar room, she was relieved to find it was the latter. Even asleep, Regina Mills looked dangerous, like a panther in a horror movie just before it jumped on the attractive blonde and tore her to shreds. Emma was determined to find a way to clip the mayor's claws. She slipped out of the bed as silently as she could and began putting on her clothes, hoping she could be downstairs before Regina awoke. She was hungry, starving really, and her whole body was still sore from yesterday's adventures. Starting an argument with the mayor first thing in the morning just wasn't on her list of fun things to do with her life, at least not until she'd found whatever passed for coffee in this crazy place.

Emma had made it to the door and was feeling pretty good about herself when a rough, sleepy voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Leaving so soon, Ms. Swan?"

Emma turned to face Regina, who was regarding her with a self-satisfied smirk, almost as if she knew that Emma had been trying to avoid her.

"I was just going down to see about breakfast."

"Hm." A smooth expanse of pale skin flashed as Regina turned her back to Emma. "Be a dear and bring something back upstairs, will you?"

Emma scowled. "Get your own damn breakfast Regina." She stalked out of the room, gaining only a little satisfaction by slamming the door shut.

By the time Emma had scrounged up something to eat and figured out where the restroom was – an outhouse, ugh, just one more thing to hate about this world – Regina was fully-dressed, sitting at the table and drinking tea out of a delicate china cup that definitely did not belong in a small-town inn. She looked as perfect as ever, makeup meticulously applied and not a hair out of place. Emma felt like a complete bum in comparison. At this point she would seriously consider murder for a hot shower.

"Martha brought water if you want to wash up, but I'm afraid it's probably cold by now." Regina gestured to a small jug and ceramic basin. Emma quickly crossed the room and splashed her face with an indulgent moan. Really, cold water should not feel that good. Emma reached down and pulled her shirt up to wipe her face.

"I think we should split up and talk to the villagers, see if they know anything about Henry. We'll meet back here for dinner and come up with a plan."

"Very well. You are the 'professional.'" God, how did Regina make such a simple sentence sound like an insult?

"Just do it, Madame Mayor. And try not to curse anyone." Emma grabbed her jacket and left Regina standing in the middle of the room. Regina growled, low and under her breath, running a hand through her hair. Emma Swan was the most immature, infuriating woman she'd ever had the misfortune to meet, and that was saying something! Spending most of the day away from the blonde sounded like the best idea she'd heard in a long time.

XxXx

Emma wandered down the roughly packed dirt road that ran through the middle of the town, trying to figure out where to start. Even though it was barely after dawn, the little village was bustling with people. A small boy led a herd of sheep down to pasture, and several women were trading goods and gossip around a well. Putting on her best smile, Emma approached the women.

"Hi. I'm Emma Swan."

One of the women looked up at her, squinting in the rising sun. "Ye're stayin' over at Martha's inn." It was a statement, rather than a question. Emma worried her bottom lip with her team. If she couldn't get the locals to talk they might never find Henry. Or she might find out what an evil queen's interrogation technique looked like.

"Yeah, I am. I'm looking for a little boy, my son. He got lost and I need to find him. His name's Henry, about ten years old, brown hair and brown eyes. If you've seen anything..." Another woman cut her off.  
>"Strangers in this village never bring good fortune. Since the wars we've seen nothing but trouble." Emma caught her arm. "Please. If any of you have children, please help me find mine." The woman's eyes softened slightly, but she wrenched her arm from Emma's grasp and turned away. "There's been no child come through here. Haven't heard of one neither. Ye'd best be moving on Ms. Swan." The women left and Emma turned, dejected, to walk towards the far end of town.<p>

"Watch out!"

Emma heard pounding hooves behind her and jumped out of the way on pure instinct. Rolling on the ground and into a crouch – really, she'd gotten way too good at that – she saw a huge horse thunder past the place she had just been occupying, pulling a rickety wooden cart behind it. An old woman was perched precariously on the cart, frantically straining with the reigns in an attempt to stop the beast. Finally, horse and cart came to a clattering stop and the woman, nimble and spry for her advancing age, jumped down in front of Emma.

"Are ye hurt dearie? The old horse gets a mite headstrong at times but we try to stop short of running people over."

Emma rose to her feet, dusting herself off. "I'm fine, thanks. Just shaken."

"Ah, you must be one of the visitors to our town!"

"Bad news travels fast around here."

The old woman laughed. "Ye have no idea! 'Tisn't often we get new people coming through. I imagine some people have forgotten how to mind their manners!"

"Yeah, they don't seem to like me much."

"Ye'll have to forgive them. Since the wars started it's been hard. Bandits, often enough, or the queen's men. They come and take what little we have. Two women traveling alone is a rare thing, and around here that can mean plenty of trouble. Keep yer head down and yer nose out of other people's affairs, and ye'll do well." She winked at Emma. "But I'm too old to worry about such things, and my life has little enough excitement nowadays. Why don't ye come to my cottage for a spell and I'll find us something good to eat?"

Emma glanced back at the inn. She certainly hadn't had any luck with anyone else, and this woman seemed willing to talk. She smiled at the old woman.

"I'd like that."

The woman motioned for Emma to climb into the cart and took the reins once more. With a quick snap the horse took off once again, although this time at a much more even pace.

"My name is Nettie, dear."

"Emma. Emma Swan."

"Well Emma, in my experience folks who come through here are either running from something or looking for something. Which would it be?"

"I'm...looking for something. Someone. My son is missing and I'm trying to find him."

"I wish I could help ye, but yer the first people to come by in a long time. 'Tis a terrible thing, to loose a child."

They were silent for a moment, as the cart rattled through a small path in the woods. Suddenly the trees opened and in a clearing stood a cottage. It was tiny, perhaps two rooms, but had a certain cozy charm. Beside the cottage was a brilliant garden, filled with a myriad of flowering plants. Nettie slowed the horse to a stop beside the door, letting him out of the harness and into a field to graze.

"Now come inside and have some fresh bread dearie."

"Thank you."

Nettie sat Emma down at a table in the kitchen. "Here's some nice tea to go along with it, then." The door to the garden was open, and a light breeze brought the sent of rich flowers into the room. "Ye like my garden? The flowers are like my children, special. Each one has a story to tell. And not only the flowers, but the fruit trees as well. I'm know far an' wide for my preserves, if I do say so myself."

"The apple trees...they remind me of someone I know."

"Ah, the apple's a magical fruit, dearie. There's many an old tale of its power to bring love and good fortune. Why, even now 'tis custom to present a wedded couple with an apple tree for good days...and good nights, if ye catch my meaning. Whoever reminds you of the apple-blossom must be a special person, indeed."

Emma shrugged uncomfortably. She'd had far too many fairy tales become real recently to think about apples in any kind of rational fashion. It was definitely time for a change of subject.

"Nettie, could you tell me about the war? When did it start?"

"I guess it would have been about fifteen years ago now. It happened in a land far away from here. There was a queen, an evil queen some said, though I never did hear the right of it. One day she just up and disappeared, taking all the nobles and anyone who knew anything about ruling the kingdom with her. Well of course someone had to step in and take over the ruling, so the kings and queens on all sides started to fighting over her land. They've been fighting ever since, near as I can tell. More tea dear?"

Emma distractedly allowed the old woman to refill her cup. So this wasn't the kingdom Regina had left behind. Time apparently was slower in this world as well, which was good. Not as much time would have passed when they got back the the real world. And they would get back.

Emma pressed a hand to her temple, overcome with a sudden bout of dizziness. Apparently taking a rock to the head had done more damage than she'd thought. The room was spinning, and she fell to the ground, knocking over the chair and dropping her cup with a loud crack. The last thing she remembered as the world faded to black was the smiling face of the old woman and the smell of apple-blossoms.

With an evil smile, the witch drew upon all her magic to cast a powerful spell. She erased Emma's memories, replacing them with the belief that she had always lived here, in the cottage with the beautiful garden. Lest she see the apples and remember, the witch caused the trees to sink into the ground, and destroyed any sign of apples on her clothes or in her home.

XxXx

Regina waited impatiently in her room at the inn, foot tapping in frustration. Today had been a complete waste. No one had known anything about Henry, and it had taken all of her considerable political charm to get more than two sentences out of these stupid villagers! She couldn't even use her magic on them. Though it had been tempting, for Henry's sake she needed to know more about where she was before doing something that could potentially reveal her identity.

Regina took to pacing around the room. She hated feeling helpless. All the power in the world and she couldn't protect her son, couldn't stop him from being hurt. Unbidden, she remembered her words to Maleficent. "Love is weakness." But she'd been so careful, so sure that nothing would happen to disturb their happy ending. And nothing had, until _that woman_ had shown up in her silly little car and turned her whole life around!

With a determined effort, Regina stilled her emotions. That was a problem to be dealt with later, when Henry was safe and back in Storybrooke where he belonged. She had practiced magic for a very long time, and she knew that when something unexpected happened, even small things had a part to play. There was a very real chance that they wouldn't be able to get back to Storybrooke without Emma Swan, especially if magic or a curse was involved. She would have to keep the woman around until she knew what part she was intended to play. With luck, it would be something unpleasant.

Regina growled to herself and stormed downstairs. Still no sign of the sheriff. Where the bloody hell was she?

In the kitchen she spied Martha bent over a hot fire, stirring something that looked suspiciously like it might still be alive.

"Excuse me, Martha, but I seem to be missing my companion. She was supposed to meet me for dinner. Do you know if anyone has seen her?"

The woman answered without looking up from her pot. "Haven't seen her since this morning. The boys might know, they've been out a bit today."

Regina turned to the tables, where the two boys and a girl sat eating stew and studiously ignoring her. "Have any of you seen my friend?"

Chris looked up at her with a concerned gaze. "She went off with the witch this morning!"

Martha shushed him. "Now boy, she ain't a witch." She looked at Regina apologetically. "The kids call old miss Nettie a witch on account of her age. She lives by herself in the forest. I'm sure yer friend is fine with her. Probably just got too late to come back, it's a bit of a walk."

"I'm sure that's what happened. Thank you for your help." Regina waited until she was firmly out of sight before letting out a frustrated sigh. This town seemed intent on blocking her at every turn.

In the kitchen, the young girl rose from her seat and slipped out unnoticed. She padded up the stairs and nervously knocked on Regina's door.

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry to bother you, ma'am, but if your friend is with the witch she's in danger." Regina frowned. This was exactly what she did not need.

"I guess you'd better come in and tell me what you're talking about, miss...?"

"Rose." The girl – Rose – entered the room and sat down stiffly. Regina took a seat on the bed.

"Now, tell me why you think Ms. Swan is in danger."

"The adults don't want to talk about it 'cause they're afraid of her, but the witch steals people away. I don't know what she does with them, but they never come back so it must be something bad! You have to get your friend away from her."

Regina could feel a headache coming on. Ms. Swan certainly had a way of getting herself into trouble, and now she would have to get her out of it. Any witch this far away from the main cities couldn't be very powerful, but she would have to plan this rescue carefully or risk exposing herself.

"Is there any time we could get into this witch's house while she's not there?"

Rose hesitated. "She comes into town every morning. If we're careful, we could go then."

Regina nodded, thinking. "I'll need you to lead me there in the morning and keep watch so she doesn't find us. Do you think you could do that?"

The girl jumped at the opportunity to be involved in an adventure. "That'd be great!"

Regina smiled at her. "Then I'll meet you outside just before dawn. Let's keep this just between us, Rose. I don't want to do anything to put my friend in more danger."

"Great, I'll see you then!" Rose jumped out of her chair and hurried out of the room. She had a lot to do before she could take on a witch in the morning.

XxXx

Regina shivered in the predawn. Her breath formed a slight fog in the cool air, and beads of dew glittered like jewels on the grass in the gray morning light. It was a beautiful morning, one she would have been happily missing if Emma hadn't gotten herself kidnapped.

A slight creak caught her attention as Rose slipped out of the inn, carrying a covered basket. She motioned for Regina to follow her and led her out of town and down a winding forest trail. By the time they arrived at the witch's cottage, the sun was well in the sky.

Rose knelt down behind some bushes. "We'll have to wait here until she leaves."

After a few minutes an old woman appeared, whistling for her horse. She strapped him into her cart and took off down the path at a breakneck speed. Rose turned to Regina.

"Now's the time. I'll keep watch and let you know if she's coming back early. Good luck!"

Regina smiled at the girl and hurried to the house, intent on getting this little operation over as soon as possible. The door was open, and Regina's smile widened. This was going to be too easy.

A familiar voice startled her and she jumped.

"Hello? Can I help you? I'm afraid my mother just left and won't be back for awhile." Regina's mouth almost fell open in shock. Emma Swan was in a dress, greeting her with a smile. And why was she referring to the witch as her mother? She just knew that there was some kind of messed up magic going on here. It was probably some sort of curse. The universe certainly liked to mess with her ironically. Oops. The Sheriff was looking at her expectantly.

"Hello. My name is Regina. I'm...looking for my son and I thought you or your mother might know where he is."

"I'm so sorry Regina. I'm afraid it's just my mother and me." Emma grasped Regina's hand and ushered her farther into the house. "You should wait for her, though. If there's any one who can help you find your boy, she can."

Regina sat down heavily at the kitchen table. This was just too surreal. Ms. Swan clearly did not remember anything of her past life, and just the thought of dealing with this situation made her want to pound her head into the table.

Emma placed a hot cup of tea in front of Regina and sat down next to her, resting a comforting hand on her knee. It made Regina's skin crawl.

"Why don't you tell me about him while you wait."

Regina sighed heavily into her tea. She didn't have any better ideas yet and maybe talking about Henry would jog Emma's memory somehow.

"Well, Henry's always been a very intelligent boy. On his fourth birthday, I was trying to throw him a surprise party, and he..." Regina smiled slightly, remembering happier times with her son. Just as she was done telling the story she heard Rose whistle from the woods, their prearranged signal that the witch was returning from town. She quickly thanked Emma for the tea and slipped away into the cover of the trees.

XxXx

On the second day, Regina told Emma about Henry's first soccer game, and how he had fallen down and skinned his knee. But he was determined, and he had gotten up and scored the game winning goal.

On the third day, Regina told Emma about Henry's first day of school, and how he had cried and refused to leave her.

By the end of the fourth day, Regina was beginning to despair of ever finding the way to break the witch's spell. She still hadn't seen any indication that Emma was getting back her memories, and she was sure that without Emma she would never be able to find Henry. Tiredly, she splashed her face with water and stared into the mirror, but only her own face gazed back. She'd never felt so alone in her entire life. This world should have felt familiar to her; it was her home, after all. But everyone she'd known was gone. Even the cold comfort of the anger that had fueled her for so long was beginning to fade, replaced by a growing emptiness. All the happy endings she had hated were trapped in that other world, living out the curse she herself had set for them. The curse that was supposed to bring about _her _happily ever after. But where was she now? In the same place she had started from, powerless to rescue the only family she had left, a young boy who probably hated her and believed she was the cause of all evil in the world. Reduced to reliving memories of happiness with her oblivious arch-enemy. Regina lay down in the cold, hard bed and tried to will herself to sleep. It was the loneliest she had ever felt.

On the fifth day, Rose inadvertently gave Regina the key to restoring Emma's memories. It was early in the morning, and they were beginning their daily trek to the witch's cottage to see Emma. Rose was complaining about yesterday's dinner, but Regina wasn't paying attention – she had much bigger things to worry about. Until a familiar word caught her attention.

"What did you say?"

"Um, that mother was complaining because the witch hasn't been bringing fruit to sell in the mornings. She usually has apples this time of year, and momma makes the best pies."

'That's it!' Regina thought, a grin spreading across her face.

"Wait here, Rose, and watch out for me. I have a feeling that today is the day we'll break the curse."

Regina rapped sharply on the cottage door, excitement welling up inside her. Finally she was going to get to free her powers a bit. She'd never been one to sit around letting things happen to her. It was much more fun to do things to other people.

With a wide smile, Emma opened the door for her friend. The dark haired woman had been visiting her every day for several days, sharing stories about her life. Emma wished she could help Regina find her missing son, but a smaller, selfish part of her was happy that the brunette hadn't left town yet. She was content here with her mother, but something about Regina itched at the back of her mind, as if they had known each other in some other life. Whatever it was, something undeniable drew her to the other woman, some promise of power and adventure.

Regina rushed Emma back into the house, quickly closing the door behind her.

"Regina, wha-?"

"It's alright. I just need to give you something." with a wave, Regina summoned an apple out of thin air. "Look at it, Emma. You need to remember." Regina placed the bright red fruit in Emma's shocked hands.

At the sight of the apple, memories rushed through Emma's thoughts, cascading over each other in her mind. She promptly passed out. Regina instinctively reached out to catch her but was only half-successful, her knees buckling under the other woman's weight. The ground shook as the apple trees burst fully-formed from the ground, and the door burst open to reveal the old witch. She held a struggling Rose in her arms.

"I found yer little spy, but ye'll never win against my power! The girl will stay with me forever!"

Regina lowered Emma to the ground and smiled, a dark, evil smile she reserved for people who tried to intimidate her. This was going to be fun. She released a little of her power, enough for the old woman to realize how incredibly outmatched she was. The pure energy of her magic rushed through her, leaving her a bit light-headed. Oh, how she had missed this feeling!

Regina advanced on the woman, who was frozen like the bird that has looked into the eyes of the snake, watching death approach but not being able to run.

"You have kept me from finding my son and disrupted my plans. Now you will see what happens to those who get in my way!"

With a wave of her hand Regina pinned the old woman to a wall, forcing her to release Rose. Slowly, the woman began to levitate, rotating slightly in midair, screaming as she was being pulled apart by invisible forces. Regina's eyes were pitch black. She could feel it, power erupting from her hands, coursing through her veins. It had been so long, so long, and she was so close. It was intoxicating.

A touch on her arm broke her concentration, and she whirled on whoever dared to interrupt her spell. Emma gulped but held on, still weak from the curse. "Don't do this Regina. She's not worth it."

Regina growled. "She dared to defy me!"  
>"What do you think will happen if you kill her? Everyone in the country will know where we are by tomorrow night. You have to stop this. For Henry."<p>

A spark of recognition shone in Regina's eyes. Henry. Her son. With a visible effort she battled down the hate and anger, building up her walls once again. Her eyes closed and when she opened them again Emma was relieved to see they were brown once more.

"Take Rose outside. I'll deal with this...woman..."

Emma looked to the young girl, then to Regina, clearly worried that the Mayor would lose it again as soon as she left. Regina rolled her eyes. "I'm not going to kill her. Go."

Emma lead a shell-shocked Rose outside, warning her not to tell anyone what she had seen. After a quick explanation, the girl seemed to think it was the coolest thing ever and was begging to come with Emma and Regina on their journey. Emma told her that under no circumstances would she be setting one toe out of the village, then put her to work helping her release the horse from the witch's cart.

A few minutes later Regina quietly emerged from the house. Emma and Rose had tacked up the horse, stuffing the saddlebags with anything they could find that looked useful, although in Rose's case there had been significantly more petting than anything else. "His name is Philipe!" she exclaimed with a gleeful smile.

"Are you okay?" Emma asked Regina as she walked past, but the other woman ignored her. Emma shrugged and walked alongside Philipe as Rose led him back to the inn. Regina immediately disappeared upstairs. Emma wasn't sure what to do. Something was clearly wrong with Regina, but it wasn't like Hallmark made a card for this. She shivered, although she wasn't cold.

Regina reappeared with her bag and the rest of their few belongings. She tossed a few coins to Rose with instructions to give them to her mother to settle their bill. With an ease and grace Emma would not have expected, Regina swung herself on to Philipe. Then again, the queen had probably been riding for years before Storybrooke.

"Let's go, Ms. Swan. I don't believe there's anything more for us here." She reached down and offered a hand to the sheriff. Emma gave the horse a nervous glance – Jesus, he was big! Regina's lips quirked upward in a small smirk. "Unless you're scared?"

Emma took Regina's hand and allowed herself to be pulled onto the back of the saddle. "It'd take a lot more than this to scare me away, Madame Mayor."

Regina kicked her heals into Philipe's sides and laughed when Emma let out an indignant yelp. "Too bad."

**A/N: Thank you guys so much for the lovely reviews! They kept me up all night writing this, seriously. You guys give me all the feelings!**

**Cake for whoever can guess what fairy tale the horse's name is from :)**


	4. Chapter 2

**A/N1: To all the people who successfully guessed that the name of the horse was from 'Beauty and the Beast,' congratulations. However, as you may have guessed, the cake is a lie. To the people who guessed Edmund's horse, I have no idea what the horse's name is. I tried Google but couldn't find it. I'm sorry. You're awesome.**

**A/N2: You have no idea how hard it was to avoid Xena references in this chapter. Two women traveling by horseback in a vaguely medieval setting? A brunette with a dark past of loss, death, and destruction? A blonde representing the side of light and goodness? Yeah. There was very nearly an argument about whether the constellation looks like a dipper or a bear.**

~* The Prince and the Princess *~

"EQ?"

"No."

"Reggie?"

"No."

"Gina?"

"No."

"Rex?"

"I'm not a dog, Ms. Swan."

Emma huffed. "Well, I can't help it if you're hard to nickname."

"It's very simple. I'll even give you choices. You may address me as Madame Mayor, Mayor Mills, Ms. Mills, or simply Mayor."

"We're stuck in a world with living fairy tales, looking for our lost son! Can't we at least be on a first name basis?"

Regina smiled. "No."

"Hey, what's that?" Emma pointed to a small black form on the side of the road, wrapping an arm around Regina's stomach to get her attention.

"Woah." Regina pulled Philipe up short, more out of surprise than anything else. The grey gelding tossed his head in protest. Emma slid awkwardly to the ground and Regina suppressed a smile as she nearly fell on her ass. The sheriff scowled up at her. Okay, maybe the smile was less suppressed than she had thought. Emma's scowl only deepened as Regina dismounted effortlessly and she quickly turned away from the brunette, kneeling in the dusty road.

"It's a bird."

Regina kneeled beside her. "A Raven, actually. It looks like he's been shot."

"Is he still alive?"

Regina placed her hand on the Raven's chest. "Barely." She gently spread the Raven's wings so she could examine the wound. An arrow had passed through the bird's side and remained lodged in the flesh. "If this had gone all the way through he would have bled out by now." Carefully, she broke the arrow in half near his skin, easing the wooden shaft through his body until it was completely free. Discarding it in disgust, she placed her hand to the bloody hole, closing her eyes. Emma watched in rapt fascination as a white light glowed softly under her palm. When Regina pulled her hand away, the

would was completely healed.

"That's...incredible."

The Raven stirred slightly, blinking glassy black eyes.

"Bring me some water." Regina commanded.

Emma, still slightly in awe, obeyed instantly. She hurriedly filled a small cup and brought it to Regina, who helped the large bird stand and guided his beak towards the water. The Raven drank deeply from it and seemed much more animated when he was finished, shaking himself in wonder and cocking his head at the two women. To Emma's amazement, he bowed to Regina.

"My Queen!"

Regina was somewhat surprised herself. "How do you know me?"

"It is every Raven's duty to know the face of the Queen who protected our kind. When I was a young chick, my parents took me to the castle to see you, so I would always remember the face of the woman we served. When you disappeared your enemies began to hunt the Ravens down, so my mate and I fled to this land."

"And where is your mate now, my friend?"

"She is a pet for the princess of this country. I was on my way to visit her when a farmer shot me for taking some of his corn to eat."

"Maybe you could help me. My-" _'our' _muttered Emma, and Regina shot her a glare "_my _son has gone missing."

"We must go to the princess's castle then! They say she is the smartest princess in the land, and has read all of the books ever written. If anyone will know where your son is, she will."

The Raven, feeling very important for helping the woman who had saved his life and the lives of many other Ravens over the years, bounded into the air, flapping his great wings. "Follow me, your majesty!"

XxXx

Though she would never admit it, Emma was seriously considering falling to her knees and kissing the ground when Regina finally pulled Philipe up and announced that they were stopping for the night. She was sore in places she hadn't even known existed until she got on that damn horse. This fairy tale world might have magic and animals that talked, but she'd trade it for her Bug and a hot bath in a heartbeat.

"Miss Swan?" Uh-oh. It generally wasn't a good idea to space out if Regina was talking to her.

"Sorry, what?"

"I said, could you gather wood for a fire?"

"Uh, yeah. Sure." Emma wandered off. She'd never been what you'd call a nature person. Jogging through a park in the morning was pretty much the extent of her woodsiness. Hmmm, wood, wood... Emma filled her arms with a various array of sticks and a couple of larger tree limbs, trying to make sure they were as dry as possible. Maybe she'd get some of them right and Regina wouldn't have _another_ thing to insult her over.

She'd been gone maybe fifteen minutes, but when she returned Regina had already laid their blankets on the ground and was sitting comfortably, eating an apple and asking the Raven questions about what had happen in her absence. Emma dropped her her sticks in a pile and collapsed on her neatly folded bed of blankets.

"Seriously, what is it with you and apples?"

"They're the fruit of the gods, Ms. Swan, not to mention extremely healthy for you. Haven't you ever heard 'an apple a day keeps the doctor away?'"

"I have. I didn't know it was a common saying in fairy tales."

"I've lived in your world for nearly thirty years. I _did_ pick some things up."

"How about 'sharing is caring?'"

"You know, I think I might have heard of that one." Regina pulled another apple out of her bag, cutting a piece off and offering it to the Raven. "See?"

Emma pouted. She couldn't help it. She was tired, and hungry, rapidly becoming cold, and trapped with the one person on the earth who seemed to delight in making her suffer. An apple hit her in the shoulder.

"Don't say I never did anything for you, Sheriff."

"Hmph." Emma bit into the apple, its sweet juice leaving sticky trails on her skin. "So tell us more about this princess."

The Raven hopped over to her blanket as Regina busied herself arranging her motley collection of sticks into an actual fire. Honestly, Emma didn't see the point, since Regina spent several minutes fussing over the pile only to light it with magic. Shaking her head, she turned her attention to the Raven.

"The princess is said to be very beautiful as well as smart, and she is very rich. My sweetheart in the palace was telling me that she has just decided to get married, and she has issued invitations to princes from all over the land. She is determined to marry if she can find a husband who will know what to say when spoken to, rather than simply look kingly."

"And she'll marry him, just like that? That doesn't sound very romantic. I thought fairy tales were all about happy endings and true love."

"Oh, princesses almost never marry for love. There's the kingdom to think about, of course. Where would the people be if she went around marrying some carpenter or butcher who didn't know a thing about being a king?"

Regina answered her from the fireside, the shadows of flames playing upon her face. "All power comes with a price, Ms. Swan. Just because royals live in castles with servants and fine clothes doesn't mean they are allowed to do as they please. We all have our responsibilities."

Emma looked down at the half-eaten apple in her hand; sharp, clean cuts where she had bitten into the flesh, the skin marred by several bruises acquired along their journey.

"Were you ever married, Mayor?"

"I was. Once. It was an arranged marriage for the good of both our kingdoms."

"You should be able to marry the person you love. As long as at least one of you knows how to rule, what's the difference?"

"That's not the way the world works. We all have to make sacrifices."

Emma's gaze, when leveled at Regina, was all the more intense for the heat of the fire and the cold night.

"How much have you had to sacrifice?"

Regina sighed, fog forming on her tongue, lips curled. Emma would not have seen it if not for the chill air.

"My life is none of your business, Sheriff, and as soon as we find Henry I expect you to be out of it."

The Raven cocked his head, watching Emma with one shiny black eye.

XxXx

Regina didn't wake Emma up the next morning until everything but Emma's blankets had been repacked and loaded, and even then it was merely a brusque "Get _up_ Ms. Swan." Regina mounted Philipe, making no motion to pull Emma up with her.

"I think you better walk today. You need to stretch out your muscles and Philipe needs to rest." She wheeled the great grey around and set him at a walk down the road, not looking back.

A gust of air and the Raven perched on Emma's shoulder.

"How can you want to help a woman like that?" Emma asked him.

"For centuries Ravens have been hunted in this world. Try to take a bit of corn or grain to your chicks and farmers and would come after you with fire and arrows. Most humans can't tell us apart, so it didn't matter which Raven had actually taken the food – all would suffer. They called us agents of evil and bringers of death because we ate the meat of dead animals while they stuffed their faces with the bodies of rotting chickens." He fluffed his feathers in disgust. "When the Queen came to power, she called all the Ravens to her castle and promised that if we would be her eyes and ears she would make it illegal to hunt us, and give us treats and a home in our old age. My family has served the Queen with pride ever since, and in return she has saved my life."

Emma gestured at the straight back of the Mayor in front of them. "She tried to take away everyone's happiness! There's a town full of cursed people back where I come from who have lost love and family because of her."

He shifted slightly on her shoulder, claws digging into her skin. "I can't speak for that. But there are stories, whispered in the wind by the Ravens. They say that the Queen loved, once, more deeply than anyone has ever loved. She was young, and loved as the young do. But she was betrayed by someone she counted as friend and family, and her lover died. No one knows what happened to her then. When she returned to her kingdom she was a widow and dressed all in black. More than that, I don't know."

He lifted off from her shoulder, wings beating at the air and swirling around her face. They had fallen behind while talking, and Regina stopped to let her catch up.

XxXx

It was mid-afternoon by the time they passed through the town gates. By this world's standards it was probably a large city, but it was only slightly larger than Storybrooke. However, the air was alive in a way that Storybrooke had never been. Friends called to each other from balconies and windows and farmers and merchants hawked their wares from rough carts. Children darted to and fro between man and beast alike, playing games or selling flowers and small trinkets.

Emma and Regina continued following the Raven through the streets until they were at a large castle.

"Wait here." The Raven said. "I'll go inside and talk to my mate, and we'll ask the Princess for an audience."

"Raven, please don't tell her who I am. If anyone finds out it could put us all at risk."

"As you say, My Queen." With a little bow, the Raven jumped into the air and disappeared over the castle walls.

Soon enough the Raven was back with his mate.

"The princess has agreed to see you right now! Please, follow us to the throne room."

The female Raven said a few words to the guard, who opened the castle gate and allowed them inside. The courtyard was filled with princes and nobles of every stripe waiting for their own turn with the princess. Some read books or practiced on instruments while other talked in small groups. A page ushered them through to a large room. Candles illuminated the darkness, reflected in flickering light off of decorative armor and weapons. The flames fell in waves on beautiful tapestries, giving the illusion of movement to the woven characters.

At the far end of the room a reed-thin girl sat on a large dais. She smiled sweetly at the travelers, beckoning them closer.

"Greetings! My friend the Raven told me you are looking for your missing son. I would like to extend to you all the help I can." She descended from the throne to offer a hand to each of them. "My name is Anne."

Emma smiled. The Princess could have been more than sixteen, with blonde hair and large, trusting blue eyes. "I'm Emma."

"I am Regina."

Anne led them off into a side chamber. "You must have heard that I am looking for a prince to help me rule the kingdom fairly, so I will not be available to help you until this evening. My servants will see to your horses and bring your belongings to your rooms. Right now, I'm sure you would enjoy food and a hot bath after your weary travels." She made a motion and a young maid appeared before them. "My maid will show you where you may find both. She has instructions to personally attend to your needs. Please, think of my castle as your own home." Pressing each of the woman's hands, the princess disappeared back into the throne room and they heard the herald announce the name of a prince.

"This way please, ladies." The maid dropped a curtsey and led them down a dizzying array of corridors. The last door she opened revealed a small room containing what looked to Emma like an indoor swimming pool. Mist floated on top of the water, which was adorned with flowers and sweet-smelling herbs. Stools and buckets were scattered throughout the room for washing, and towels were stacked neatly in a corner. The maid stood off to the side expectantly.

Emma was staring at the room and hadn't really been paying attention to the mayor. That changed quickly when a topless Regina handed her shirt to the maid and bent over to remove her pants.

_Woah! _"Wha, uh, what are you doing?"

Regina smirked at her. "Taking a bath. You could use one too."

Emma studiously kept her eyes fixed on Regina's although the mirth dancing there didn't help. "You want me to get naked?"

"Isn't that generally how you bathe?" Regina sauntered towards the bath, lowering herself in the warm water with a sigh of pleasure.

Emma had a sudden vision of a pleasant, drunken night spent in Boston with a soft, feminine body. She shook herself. There was no way she was going down _that _road. That way lay dragons and monsters and so many dangers that she couldn't even think of descriptions for all of them. Her eyes narrowed. Clearly, this bathing room was meant for multiple people. Maybe bathing in this world was a communal thing. At any rate, if it didn't bother Regina it sure as hell wasn't going to bother her.

Emma stripped and sank into the bath. _Ooh, this is good._

"I could definitely get used to this."

"Nice, isn't it? I thought about having one installed in Storybrooke but it seemed a little too much. I don't think anyone but me would use it."

_Oh god_, Emma thought. The hot water gently relaxed muscles that had long ago been knotted by riding on Philipe and sleeping on the ground. "Maybe we could work out a schedule on that bath in Storybrooke."

Regina smiled. "What makes you think I'd let you in?"  
>Emma let her head tilt back lazily, only opening one eye to gaze at Regina. "I'll just break in. Who's gonna arrest me?"<p>

"Touche." With a wave, Regina summoned the maid, ordering her to bring them some food.

Emma watched her with growing curiosity. Even completely naked, Regina exuded power, confidence. She looked...regal.

"Do you ever miss it?"

"Miss what?"

"All of this. Being a queen."

Regina's eyes hardened. "There is nothing left for me here. Storybrooke is my home now, my life. And Henry's, too."

Emma just watched as Regina trailed her fingers in the water, lost in thought. Even though Henry's story was apparently true, there was much more to it than he ever knew. And much more to his mother. Emma had always like mysteries. She liked bringing the cold light of truth to the dark places of life. The woman before her was the biggest mystery she'd ever stumbled across. Why had Regina left this world? Why surround herself with the people who had given her so much pain, even if they didn't remember it? So many questions, so few answers, and at the very center a woman both stronger and more vulnerable than any she had ever met, the adoptive mother of her child.

Emma ducked her head underwater. Thinking too much about this made it hurt.

The maid returned with several trays of fruits and pastries and Emma's eyes widened.

"We gotta get one of these in Storybrooke."

XxXx

Clean and full and dressed in clothes provided by the princess, Emma felt a lot better about the world in general. The princess had asked if she and Regina would like to join her in the throne room to give her their opinions on the princes.

She and Regina were seated off to the left of the princess. Prince after prince came and went, but as soon as they entered the throne room they seemed to be struck dumb and could not answer any of the princess's questions, but only opened their mouths and gaped like fish. Suddenly there was a loud creaking in the hall and a young man entered the hall without being introduced. He was wearing what were clearly his best clothes, even though they were not half as fine as even the most shabby princes', and his boots were so new they still creaked when he walked. He stood confidently in front of the princess, even as she watched him for long moments before speaking.

"What is your name, sir?"

"Edward, your majesty."

"And have you come to ask for my hand in marriage?"

"No, your majesty. I am a poor shepherd. I have spent what little I have on reading and traveled the land to listen to the great teachers. Everyone agrees that you are the wisest woman in the kingdom, and I have come to ask you for your wisdom."

Princess Anne rose from her throne and stood face-to-face with Edward, searching his eyes. She smiled. "You say you are only a shepherd, but none of the princes were even able to speak in my presence. Stay here with me and be my prince, and we will learn the wisdom of the world together."

Emma smiled. Love at first sight was apparently very real in this world. Probably all the 'happily ever after' stuff. It was kind of sweet, really. She turned to make a comment to Regina about there being a place for love even among royalty, but the other woman was gone.

XxXx

The next time she saw Regina, they had been summoned to the princess's chamber. The new prince was already there, and he and the Mayor were bent over a map of the kingdom.

"-and you say this was the cave you came through?"

Anne's face paled. "That is the cave of the ice dragon."

Emma winced. There were definitely things she didn't like about this world and though she hadn't met one yet, dragons were high up on that list.

Regina didn't seem to share her concern, however. "Ice dragon?"

Edward nodded. "He belongs to the Snow Queen. If you didn't run into him at the cave he must have taken your boy to her keep."

That got Regina's attention, and she looked more nervous than Emma had seen her since the mine.

"Who is the Snow Queen?"

Regina answered, her voice tight. "An ancient sorceress, so powerful she's no longer human. She can control water on an elemental level, turning everything to ice. I don't know what she wants with Henry, but we have to get him away from her as soon as possible."

Anne put a hand on Regina's arm. "Our army would be of no help to you. Your best chance is to try to sneak in and take your son before she knows you're there."

"So there's nothing you can do?"

"We'll equip and provision you for the journey, of course. But beyond that, anything we could do would only hurt your son."

"Thank you for your help, your majesty, but I would like to retire for the night." Regina said, hurrying out of the room as the princess watched her sadly. Emma ran to catch up with her, putting her hand on her arm. "Regina, I-"

Regina jerked her arm away. "Leave me alone, Ms. Swan!"

Emma watched Regina storm away, thinking about the tears she had just glimpsed in the other woman's dark eyes.

XxXx

A shadow flickered in the dark of Emma's room, coalescing into a thin figure. The shadow crept toward the bed softly, making no noise. It pulled a dagger from a sheath. The figure seemed to draw in light, bending it around and away from its body, while the dagger itself gleamed with a supernatural glow. Pulling back the curtains of the bed, the figure plunged it straight into the heart of the sleeping person...only to discover a pillow where a slumbering form should be.

"Looking for me?" Emma launched herself at the shadow, wrestling it to the ground. She had long ago developed a survival instinct for being watched and an uneasy feeling had woken her up almost as soon as the shadow had entered the room. Trusting the feeling from long years of experience, she had rolled into a crouch in a corner of the bed, waiting for whatever it was to make its move.

The shadow recovered quickly, pinning Emma to the ground and driving for her heart once more. Emma managed to block the blow with her arm, but the figure pressed on, sensing the kill. Emma groped with her other hand for something, anything, to give her an advantage. Her had curled around a stone vase and she hit the shadow over the head with all of her strength. The figure collapsed on top of her.

_Ugh._ She pushed herself out from under the dead weight, groping on the sideboard for a candle. Several moments passed before she found one and managed to light it, her mind racing. She paled as she turned to examine the body and it was gone, only a puddle of water left in its place.

A yell tore her attention away. _Regina!_

Emma ran down the corridor to Regina's room as fast as she could, grabbing a sword from an ornamental stone display as she passed. It might only be for show, but she figure it couldn't hurt. Maybe she could hit something else in the head with it.

Regina was trapped in the middle of room, several assassins surrounding her as she struggled to keep them at bay with her magic. They seemed to have some kind of immunity to her spells. Emma jumped into the room with a yell, swinging her sword wildly and only hoping to make some kind of contact. Much to her surprise, the sword cut through two of the assassins like butter, giving the others pause. She put her back to Regina's, brandishing her sword.

"Do you even know how to use that?"

"Saved your ass."

An assassin lunged and Regina pushed him back with a blast of air.

"I was doing just fine."

"I can leave if you really want me too."

"As long as you cut them up and not me."

At an unspoken signal the remaining assassins came for them, almost catching Regina off guard. A dagger flashed red with blood and Emma spun, feeling power rushing through the sword. A blinding light arced across the room and the assassins exploded into shards of ice.

Anne and Edward rushed into the room. "Are you alright?"

Emma was breathing heavily and Regina wiped at a bleeding scrape on her neck.

"About as well as can be expected."

"What the hell were those?"

Edward carefully stepped over a puddle. "The Snow Queen's assassins. She knows you're here. You must leave as soon as possible."

Anne, who had been staring at Emma, suddenly spoke up. "Where did you get that?"

Emma looked at her in confusion. "What – the sword? I just grabbed it when I was running. Honestly, I didn't think it would do any good."

"You are a very special person." Anne's large eyes were narrowed, calculating. Emma was suddenly and uncomfortably reminded of Regina. "And that is a very special sword. It has been in my family for centuries. According to legend, it was originally owned by a great Prince. The Prince had a kind and pure heart, and gave everything that was in him for his people. He used all his power to make his people happy, but every day he became weaker and weaker, until he was at the point of death. Still, the people clamored for more favors from the Prince. In his court there was a Witch who was secretly in love with the Prince. In the dead of night, the Witch stole the Prince away to her house so that he could recover. But the people soon found out that he was missing, and they set out to 'free' him from the Witch's evil clutches. They banged on the door until it finally gave way, and set upon her with swords and clubs. With her final breath, she bound her power to the Prince's sword so she could protect him even in death. The Prince survived but his faith in humanity was shattered, and he locked himself away from the world. On his deathbed he called his brother to him, and told him not to mourn, for he would finally be with the woman he loved. He gave the sword to his brother and told him to keep it close, because the sword contained a great power to protect the people he loved most." Anne pressed Emma's hands around the grip of the sword. "You should keep it Emma. The Snow Queen knows you're coming, and you'll need all the power you can get."

Regina turned to Edward. "I think we should leave immediately."

"I agree. It's only a matter of time before the Queen learns of her failure and sends something worse after you. You'll be harder to find traveling through the forest.

Anne arranged for the servants to supply them with food and warm clothes and blankets, and gave them a packhorse so that they could carry more supplies. The Raven, who had been sleeping on a perch with his mate, agreed to fly in front of their little caravan and scout for possible dangers.

Emma's adrenaline was pumping. After the attack on their lives, suddenly the dangers and uncertainty of this new world seemed thrown into sharp focus. She tightened her grip on her new sword, resting in a scabbard Edward had given her. She hoped Henry was right about her knightly skills.

**A/N: Ok, there it is. Officially the longest single chapter I have ever written, just for you guys. If you liked it, please review. If you didn't like it, please review anyway. I can't tell you how much it means to me as an author to see so many reviews. It really drives me to keep writing. This fandom is so great and devoted, it's really amazing to see.**


	5. Chapter 3, part 1

~* The Little Robber-Girl *~

Part 1

"...forty-four, forty-five, forty-six..." Henry placed his hand on the cold wall before him. He'd gone over these walls countless times, looking for a way out, a hole, any kind of irregularity, but the face of ice was solid and slick, mocking him. He'd read and reread his book at first, looking for any hint in the stories to explain what had happened to him. But the pages never changed. They showed only the stories he already knew by heart, of Snow White and the Prince, Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast. He didn't even know how many days had passed since he had awoken in this place.

Twice or three times a day – he wasn't really sure – a slot opened in the wall and a metal plate of food was pushed in to him. Even the food was bland. He almost felt it would have been better if they gave him a thin gruel or bread and water. He'd read about heroes getting stuck in towers or in dungeons, and the tortures they'd endured. But here, there was no torture, no horrible circumstances to heroically endure. There was just...nothing.

A crack split the cold air and Henry jumped. The outline of a door formed in one wall, pushing out and away.

In the half-light of the ice door stood the silhouette of a woman. Her dress ebbed and flowed like a river, the fabric shimmering. Henry couldn't tell if it was a trick of the light or the actual color of the dress. Her skin was a opalescent blue, and her eyes shone like ice.

"Hello, Henry."

Her voice was grating and Henry resisted the urge to cover his ears.

"I am the Snow Queen."

XxXx

"Here, get on Philipe." Regina interlaced her fingers, offering a boost to Emma.

"Aren't you going to get on first?"

"It's faster this way and it'll help you hold on if we need to run. Unless you'd rather be tied to the packhorse?"

Emma glanced at the stout little pack mare, who glared at her and huffed.

"No, I don't think she likes me very much."

"Then she's got good taste. Will you just get on the damn horse?"

Emma dragged herself up onto Philipe. She wouldn't get too many points for style but at least she hadn't embarrassed herself too badly. Regina slipped up behind her, arms on either side of her body. She dug her heels into Philipe's sides and he sprang forward into the darkness.

The night was dark and moonless, and Emma could barely see the Raven's black feathers as he flew through the woods. The wind whipped at her face, low hanging branches clawing at them as they raced past. Emma was grateful for the arms around her and the woman at her back; she would never have been able to do this alone. A low voice sounded in her ear.

"We need to get away from the castle, but we'll slow down soon enough. Try not to fall off."

The pounding of hooves counted out minutes, then hours. After several miles Regina slowed them to a trot, then a walk. It was near dawn when the first arrow flew.

For a minute Emma didn't know what it was. She'd certainly never been in the position of being shot at by medieval archers. It missed slightly, imbedding itself in a tree truck to their left, but others followed swiftly. Regina bent low, forcing Emma down across Philipe's shoulder and neck, covering her with her body.

Suddenly a rope appeared in the path in front of them and Philipe tumbled into the dirt, sending Emma and Regina flying. In a spray of blood and flashing steel, a black-cloaked figure hamstrung the horse. Few things in life are sadder and more eerie than the cry of a horse in fear and pain. It is betrayal on an atonal scale, dissonant minor chords, a progression that never resolves. Philipe's eyes were wild and staring as his throat was cut, blood and foam flecking his coat.

"No!" Unthinkingly Emma charged, drawing her sword. She managed one haphazard swing before a bandit knocked her to the ground. Face in the dirt, she caught glimpses of bandits flying through the air before stars blossomed behind her eyes and all was dark.

XxXx

Regina closed her eyes, the familiar feeling of anger filling her, pulsing through her. With hands outstretched she claimed it. Bandits were set flying at mere flicks of her fingers, their weapons rendered useless before her.

They were wary now, learning not to charge her. As if on cue their ranks parted and a single figure emerged, confidently striding forward. Regina sent forward a burst of magic – enough to throw the figure back, but not to kill.

To her immense surprise, nothing happened. The figure still approached, raising one hand and shaking a finger at her.  
>"Ah, ah, ah. Your magic has no power over me, witch." The bandit leader was a woman, Regina noted, curling a fist.<p>

"It's a good thing I don't need magic to kick your ass." Regina slipped into a fighting stance, more than a little worried. For all her talk, she hadn't actually had to fight someone other than Emma in twenty-eight years, longer since she'd begun relying on her magic. The bandit faked left and Regina bit, finding her arms twisted behind her back in the time it took to blink. A cold metal cuff locked over one wrist, and the hard bite of a rope linked her hands together. With a rough push, the bandit forced Regina to start walking.

"I don't know how you've become immune to magic, but you won't be around forever. When I get out of this..."

The bandit tugged on the rope slightly, causing Regina to stumble.

"That's the beauty of this little metal bracelet. Whoever's wearing it can't be affected by magic. Can't use it, either."

Regina spit in her face, earning herself a backhanded slap. Tears filled her eyes from the pain but she refused to let them fall. Magic or no magic, she would find a way out of this.

A coarse cloth sash covered her eyes. Even though she didn't know this forest at all, the bandits weren't taking any chances, zig-zagging through different paths until Regina was completely disoriented. There was nothing for her to do until they reached...well, wherever it was they were going. The bandit hideout, she supposed. She wondered if Emma was okay. She'd caught a glimpse of the other woman hitting the ground before she'd had problems of her own to worry about. If they were lucky, the bandits would put them together and they could coordinate an escape attempt. If not...Regina shook her head. She'd worry about that if it happened.

A door opening and closing told Regina they were inside. Voices faded, echoing down corridors, and she was left with only a couple bandits as bodyguards. She was almost insulted that they didn't see her as more of a threat. They lead her down a staircase – thank God it wasn't spiraled, she didn't think she could handle that blind – and the air subtly changed. They were underground. A dungeon, perhaps? Regina hated dungeons.

Her worst fears were confirmed when she felt the rope being untied and her hands lashed to a cold stone wall instead. She supposed she should feel somewhat relieved that they allowed her to sit.

A hand grabbed her head, removing the blindfold. It was nearly pitch black in the dungeon, so dark that Regina couldn't see anything even though her eyes had adjusted to the darkness underneath the blindfold. One of her captors palmed her breast roughly and for a horrible moment fear blinded her, but the hand was removed to a heavy male chuckle.

"Have fun down here, witch."

Regina growled, lunging in the general direction of the voice, but the chains held fast. A door opened somewhere slightly above, and the sudden light blinded her. The bandits left, and she was alone.

XxXx

Regina spent most of the first day – or at least, what she thought was most of the day – trying every single magical trick she knew. The cuff had to be a magical artifact, and those were like curses; there was always a way to break them. She failed every time. For a moment she let her anger get the better of her, straining against the bonds until her wrists were wet with blood. She yelled her rage to the unfeeling walls. It didn't help, but it did make her feel a bit better.

The door finally opened and Regina instinctively turned her eyes away from the light. She heard footsteps coming nearer and a chunk of bread was placed on her lips. Angrily, almost greedily, she tore at the food, refusing to think about the fact that she was being hand-fed by one of the bandits that had captured her. It was too humiliating. A cup replaced the bread and she drank deeply, rivulets of water running over her chin and down into her shirt. The cup tipped upward, almost choking her, before it was removed. Regina coughed.

"W-Who are you?"

The bandit leader smiled, although it did nothing to add to her appearance.

"Tess. And you and I are going to become good friends, witch."

"I have a name." Regina ground out.

"Not here you don't. Here, you have nothing."

Regina laughed in her face. "When I get out of here, you'll be begging me for mercy."

"Still haven't figured out that bracelet, huh?"

"It's only a matter of time. You have no idea what I'm capable of."

"Not table manners, apparently."

"You bitch!"

Tess calmly stood up and slapped her. "Hardly. The only bitch here is you, and bitches need to learn not to bite the hand that feeds them." She chuckled at her own joke. "Let's see if you learn faster than the dogs."

Regina scowled. "What are you going to do with me?"

Tess squatted in front of her, rocking back on her heals. "That's a funny question. See, when your friend came to, the first thing she asked was where you were and if you were all right. But you want to know what's going to happen to yourself."

Regina scowled, irritated. Why couldn't the woman just come to the point? "Fine. How is she?"

Tess ignored her. "I've been a bandit for a long time, and you can tell a lot about a person from the first questions they ask. You kinda get to see what they really care about. The other one, she wouldn't even eat until she knew you were alive. That's a good person for you. Always doing or saying the right thing. Boring." She caressed Regina's face headless of the way she flinched away from her touch. "You're much more interesting. I wonder, do you care about anything but yourself?"

"Of course I do!" Regina spat.

Tess just laughed at her. "We'll see." And walked out, leaving Regina to her thoughts.

Regina sagged against the wall. Had her well-being truly been the first thing Emma asked about? Something suspiciously approaching guilt welled up inside her. She had been alone in Storybrooke for so long that she had forgotten what it was like to care about anyone but herself or Henry. She and Emma didn't get along, but they had at least reached an uneasy sort of truce since Henry had disappeared and they had found themselves in this world. Emma had even tried to protector her from the assassins in the princess's palace – not that she needed it, of course, but it was just the kind of stunt someone like Emma Swan would pull. Like saving her from that fire at city hall. It was the sort of thing 'good' people did, and Regina had not been good for a long time. She steeled her resolve. She might need Emma to help her rescue Henry, but she was still a threat. Now more than ever, since she knew the truth about Storybrooke and the fairy tales. Regina could not, would not let her guard down. So what if she sounded selfish. She would stop at nothing to rescue her son and save her happy ending.

XxXx

Tess and her brother strolled through the woods. It was near midday, but the high canopy of trees prevented all but the most stubborn rays of light from reaching the forest floor. Lightly, the bandit leader flicked a throwing knife into the air, catching it on her fingers only to pass it upward once more.

"So what are we gonna do with 'em?"

Tess fumbled the knife slightly and it nicked her, a point of blood welling up on her finger. She stuck it in her mouth and sucked.

"Hold them for ransom. You saw the marks on their stuff. And that sword the blonde had. I'm betting the princess will pay well for their safe return."

"'Safe?'"

"Well, you know, accidents happen during transport. They'll be...mostly intact." She grinned.

"Why put the witch in the dungeon? She's no threat with the bracelet on, right?"

"See that tree over there?" Tess pointed off into the dim light.

"Yeah."

With surprising force, she flung several knives at the tree. Chips of wood flew as the trunk shattered, leaving a gaping hole.

"She's like that tree. She looks strong on the outside but she's hollow inside. A few well-placed barbs and she comes all apart."

"Well, okay, but...why?"

She clapped him on the shoulder, turning to begin the trek back to the hideout.

"Because it's fun."

XxXx

"How are you doing today, witch?"

"You know how!" Regina spat. She didn't know how long she'd been down here, now. Didn't know how long it had been since she'd seen another person. No one had come to bring her food, or water, or even to beat or insult her. She didn't know what to think about that one.

"Is that any way to talk to the person who's bringing you dinner?"

"I'd rather starve. How dare you toy with me like this?" But her stomach growled, betraying her.

Tess took a disinterested bite from the bread she'd brought with her and Regina's mouth watered.

"'Cause I can."

"You're insane."

"Maybe. But I'm not the one chained to a wall." She threw the bread and cup into Regina's lap, soaking it with cold water.

"Dinner's all yours. If you can reach it."

Regina howled in unthinking rage, eyes flashing black. She thrashed against her chains, not seeming to notice the blood seeping from her wrists or the futility of her struggles. The chains never gave, yet still she tried. Her hands curled into claws as if she meant to rip the bandit apart with her bare hands. Tess stopped to look back at her, at the animalistic fear and pain, savoring it. She was reminded of the foxes she'd caught in her childhood and how they would chew off their own legs rather than be caught in a trap. Regina yelped in pain as she almost tore her shoulder out of its socket. Given the chance, this witch would probably do the same.

XxXx

Emma traced the walls of her cell, stretching her legs. If there was anything she'd learned from her time behind bars, it was that being locked up was supremely boring, and the best thing to do was to keep yourself in shape for your release. Or, in this case, your escape attempt.

She hadn't figured out how she was going to do it, not yet. But she'd been in worse spots before and gotten out of them. As jail cells went, this was actually a pretty comfortable one. There was a little pallet of straw and a blanket, and even a window, although it had been roughly covered over. Really, it was little more than a converted bedroom. She could even see where the planks of wood had been nailed into the floor and ceiling to create bars for her little cage. They'd taken all of her weapons, but she was pretty sure that with enough time and effort she could loosen one or two of the planks and slip out. Unfortunately, the bandits obviously knew that too, since they had posted a guard just inside the room to watch her every move.

Emma settled herself on the pallet, back to the wall. She wondered where Regina was. Hopefully somewhere close, maybe even the room next to her. The fact that the mayor hadn't raised the whole place to the ground was somewhat worrying, though. What happened to her magic? Not that Emma knew too much about these things, but she was under the impression that being the Evil Queen meant that Regina had a pretty extensive magical arsenal at her disposal. So why hadn't she used it to escape yet?

Or maybe – the thought ate at her no matter how she tried to bury it – maybe Regina had escaped. And maybe she had left Emma behind.

She shook her head, trying to physically shake the thought away. Regina had had a perfect opportunity to leave her when that witch had stolen her memory. Even better than now, because Emma wouldn't even have known that she'd been left. Instead, Regina had come to her rescue.

Intently, she turned her eyes to the guard. She was determined to watch every move, memorize every detail, no matter how small, that could help her escape. There must be some reason Regina couldn't use her magic, and that meant Emma had no room to fuck this up.

**A/N: Originally this was going to be significantly longer, but I'm still working on the last half and wanted to get something up this weekend. So look for another update sometime in the middle of the week. As always, let my know your thoughts. Doesn't the review button look so lonely? Feed it :)**


	6. Chapter 3, part 2

~* The Little Robber-Girl *~

Part II

Regina struggled to open her eyes, wondering how long she'd been out this time. She hadn't had any water since that first day and it was starting to have an effect. She'd been drifting in and out of consciousness, stuck in this black hole with no concept of time. It was cold, but she barely felt it anymore. Or was it because she was always cold now? She didn't know.

Light squeaking and scratching noises caught her attention, and idly she wondered what the rats who lived here did for food. She wasn't sure she wanted to find out. One time she'd woken up to them running all over her, nibbling at the bread that had been left in her lap. She'd bucked and screamed trying to dislodge them. They'd retreated, tactically, waiting until she inevitably ran out of energy and passed out. In one or two moments of insanity she'd even thought about naming them. In her darker dreams she'd imagined eating them, feeling the blood on her lips and over her tongue, running down her throat. Strengthening her. Filling her. It was as if there was a monster in the pit of her stomach that had given up growling a long time ago and was now simply...waiting.

The door opened. Regina closed her eyes, but the light still burned after so long alone in the dark. A cup was pressed to her lips and she gulped down the water gratefully.

"See? I knew you just needed a few days to think about things."

Gently, Tess removed the cup, replacing it with some cheese.

"Carefully now. We wouldn't want you getting sick." When Regina had finished eating, she sat down on the floor in front of her. "Now, let's try to have a conversation like civilized people. What were you doing traveling through my woods in the middle of the night?"

"I-I have a son." Regina managed to croak out, her voice breaking.

"Tell me about him."

"He's been captured by the Snow Queen. I have to get to him. I have to save him!"

Tess smiled, and Regina shivered. It was a smile she had seen far too often in her life; a smile that she had often worn in other situations.

"Then I'm sure the Queen will pay handsomely when I deliver you to her. Thank you, witch."

Tess stood up and Regina called out to her desperately.

"How can you do that? You're condemning an innocent boy!"

"No one is innocent. Why should I care about your whelp? If he is your son, he's already been tainted by your magic. And if you're lying to me..." she ran the point of a knife lightly over Regina's neck. Regina flinched as Tess pressed down a bit too hard, drawing a bright drop of crimson blood. "Well, I think you get the point." The bandit turned away from Regina, hand on the door.

"Wait!"

She cocked her head slightly.

"Hm?"

Regina's tongue darted out, wetting her broken and bleeding lips. Normally, she would never even consider what she was about to say. But this was no longer anything approaching normal.

"You know I'm a witch. I have power. I can give you anything you want, you can keep everything we have. Just let us go. Let me find my son."

"And have the Snow Queen come down on me if she finds out? Not a chance. Haven't you ever heard? All magic comes with a price, and I can't afford to pay it. I'll take the money and stay far away from whatever problems you've got."

XxXx

Lying on her pallet at night, Emma had nothing else to do but think. She realized that she had changed since she had come to Storybrooke. Before Storybrooke, before Henry and Regina, she had lived her whole life avoiding personal connections. She valued her freedom, never letting anyone tie her down, never getting involved. She had learned early that people would always let you down if you gave them half a chance, whether they meant to or not. It's why she'd given up Henry, after all. She knew she would let him down, and she couldn't bear the thought of doing that to that sweet little boy with the trusting eyes. Better he learn that on his own, far away from her fucked up life. Who knew? He might have a chance at a decent childhood before he went and got himself hurt. She liked to think that he had, maybe, that Henry had been a happy little boy before all of this curse and fairy-tale craziness. She glanced around the room. Even if it had turned out to be real, this world was still crazy.

Somehow along the way, she'd gotten caught up in these damn fairy-tales. That little boy had made her his savior – and didn't _that_ keep her up at night – but somehow, between trying to get to know Henry and fighting with Regina, she'd become a damn hero.

Really, this was Regina's fault, now that she thought about it. If Regina hadn't threatened her, hadn't _pushed_ her, she would have happily gone back to Boston and her cupcake. Their constant arguments had inflamed Emma's competitive spirit, driving her to stay, to become involved in the small community.

She twisted and turned, trying to find a comfortable spot. Trust her to become part of the most fucked up family she'd ever heard of.

XxXx

"How's it going today, witch?"  
>Regina just ignored her, hoping she would go away. No such luck. The bandit slapped her, but Regina barely felt it anymore. She barely felt <em>anything <em>anymore.

"I asked you a question."

"Why won't you just leave me alone?"

"Now where's the fun in that?"

Regina had no answer. There _was _no answer. Every day Tess came to visit her, sometimes with food, sometimes not. Every time she heaped abuse on abuse, telling her how Henry would be lucky if the Snow Queen killed him, because then he wouldn't have a witch for a mother. How she could never be the mother he needed. That he should leave. That Emma should leave.

Once Tess had come in and told her that Emma had left, just to see her reaction. Regina was proud that she hadn't cried that day.

She didn't know how much more she could take. She had tried to be strong, to fight back, but every day that passed was a reminder that the bandit was right. She had failed Henry, and now she was sitting helplessly in a cell with only the rats for company. Emma would find a way, somehow. That was what she did, after all. She had saved Henry at the mine and she would save him now. Regina was useless, but she didn't need to be a burden, didn't need to slow them down. Emma could take care of him, and maybe he would be happy. No more curse, no more therapy with Dr. Hopper. He could be a normal ten-year-old boy.

And maybe, finally, Regina would find peace.

XxXx

_Tchk...tchk...thck..._

The noise woke Emma almost immediately but she stayed curled up in the floor out of long habit, straining to figure out where the sound was coming from. Taking a chance, she glanced at the guard...but he was gone! In the two plus weeks she'd been here, there had always been a guard, night and day. She narrowed her eyes. What had changed?

_Tchk_. The knocking sound caught her attention again. It was coming from the window. Carefully, Emma eased her weight onto the balls of her feet and slipped over to the window, ready to leap away at the slightest hint of danger. Through a slit in the boards she saw a figure that filled her with an almost overwhelming sense of relief. It was the black beady eye of the Raven.

"Emma!"

"Raven! You have no idea how happy I am to see you. What's going on?"  
>"I was flying ahead when the attack happened. I came back, but..." he ducked his head. "There was nothing I could do to help. I followed behind when the bandits took you. I've been flying around ever since, trying to figure out a way to get you and the Queen out of here."<p>

"What happened to Regina?"

"I don't know. I think they blocked her magic, somehow. Her Majesty would never allow herself to be captured otherwise."

"So, what's the plan?"

"As I was saying, I couldn't find a way out and I was about to return to the castle for help when I happened upon the bandit's stables. Most of the animals there are dumb beasts, but one, a Reindeer, offered to help me in exchange for his freedom. I bit and tore at his bonds until he was free, but he has been pretending to still be tied up until we make our escape. He also told me that the bandits are preparing for an important feast day and that, despite the leader's best efforts, the guards tend to slip away or drink if they think you can't get out. We can make our move then."

"There's just one problem with that...they're right. I can't get out of her, even with the guard gone."

The Raven winked, which was truly a strange sight.

"You can with our help. Don't worry. Just be ready to go night after next and let us handle the rest."

XxXx

Emma could hardly sleep those two nights, wondering what the Raven and the Reindeer had planned, wondering where the hell Regina was and how they were going to find her. She seemed to have an endless amount of energy, but she was careful not to change her daily routine. She didn't want to give the guard any reason to think she was up to something. By dusk on the second night, she was bursting.

Emma thought the guard would never leave, and was working herself into something resembling a tizzy. Would this even work? Where was the Raven? And what about Regina? Thoughts buzzed in her head, making her dizzy.

So caught up was Emma in her thoughts that she almost missed the door opening and closing as a bandit came in, handing a leather flask to the guard. Suddenly, Emma felt her entire body focus. This was really happening. She just had to wait.

Several hours and many drinks passed, and Emma was getting anxious. Where the hell was the Raven?

Suddenly splinters flew across the room as the window burst open. Emma automatically threw up her arm to shield her face, but the two bandits were significantly drunker and stumbled backwards in surprise, one of them falling to the ground. The Reindeer had smashed full-force into the wooden boards across the window and the Raven flew in amongst the debris, cawing and flapping mightily, looking for all the world like a portent of evil.

The bandits seemed stunned, not quite sure what was happening as their alcohol-addled minds took more than a few seconds to catch up. The Raven took the opportunity to slip through the bars of Emma's cage and resumed his demon bird act, separating the fallen bandit from his friend and driving him up against the beams that made up Emma's cage. The other one, apparently deciding that a crazed bird was just too much to ask a drunken brain to deal with, stumbled out of the room.

Emma saw her chance and worked quickly, relieving the bandit of his keys and knife from behind while the Raven kept him busy. Fumbling only slightly in her haste, she unlocked the simple metal latch that kept her trapped. She sprang on top of the surprised guard, forcing his head into the floor and one arm behind his back.

"Wha-!"

"Shut up!" Emma hissed. "One false move and I'll slit your throat!" She hoped he didn't notice her hands trembling slightly. She'd never killed anyone before and she didn't ever want to start. "The woman who was with me. Where is she?"

"I don't know!"

Emma pressed harder on his arm. She knew from experience that with just a little more force, she could dislocate it completely. "Don't give me that shit!"

The Raven pecked at his face once for good measure.

"Fine! Fine, they took the witch downstairs."

"Thanks a lot." Emma slammed his face into the floor, knocking him unconscious. She turned to the Raven.

"Any idea where this 'downstairs' is?"

"There's a stairway down the hall, it must lead to the Queen!"

Emma nodded absently, wiping sweat and dirt from her brow. "Let's go." Carefully she eased the door open. The hallway was quiet, although she could hear the sounds of music and conversation drifting down from some distant room. With the Raven on her shoulder, she crept down the hall step by measured step, back to the wall.

Halfway to the staircase a plain wooden door stopped her cold. The Raven ruffled his feathers with nervous energy, anxious to find the Queen and get out of this place.

"There's something...something important here. I can feel it."

The Raven didn't respond, but dug his talons into her shoulder as she gently tried key after key, finally finding the one that fit. It turned in the lock with a shockingly loud _click, _and for a moment Emma was frozen, sure that some bandit was going to jump out at her. When none came, she inched the door open.

Inside the room were piles and piles of bandit loot. For a moment it dazzled her as the light danced over jewels of every shade, loose coins in bags, candlesticks and plate in silver and gold.

Finally, she grinned and strode over to the sword that had called to her, feeling confidence and power rush trough her as she gripped the hilt. The blade shone in the light and reflected a rainbow of colors as she crossed the room. The sword itself already felt like an extension of her arm and she continued her escape attempt, suddenly feeling much more optimistic. Bring on the bandit hordes! They wouldn't get the drop on her twice.

The door at the base of the stairs was locked, which didn't surprise Emma. What did was that none of the five or ten keys on the guard's key ring actually fit in the lock.

"Shit."

The Raven cocked his head. "What do we do?"

Emma closed her eyes and let out a long, slow breath. "This." She paced off a path as far as she could away from the door, back to the wall. Wincing slightly in anticipation, she ran full-speed against the door, jamming it with her shoulder. "Well, it always works in the movies..." But there was the distinct sound of splintering wood around the lock.

"I think it's working! Try again!" The Raven cawed excitedly, dancing around on the stairs.

"Regina'd better be in here." Emma panted, repeating her path. She focus all her will power on the door. After all, this was a fairy-tale land; maybe some of that magic would rub off on her. The pommel of her sword flashed as she made contact with the door once again and Emma felt its power like an electric shock through her body. It was a heady, intoxicating feeling and she felt dizzy for a moment – but the door cracked under the pressure, breaking away from the metal lock and swinging open.

Emma stopped cold at her first glimpse inside the room, the thrill of power quickly replaced by a chilling drop that was palpable in her stomach. Once reaching the very depths of her the feeling rush back upwards with a vengeance, bile rising in her throat as she fought to keep herself from retching.

The room – more of a dungeon, really, worse than anything she could have imagined – was carved out of the ground. The walls crumbled around the edges and roots twined around a few rotten boards charged with propping them up. She immediately felt claustrophobic. But it wasn't the room, terrible as it was, that caught her attention and made her sick.

It was Regina Mills, shackled to a wall. Slumped down and defeated, she didn't even raise her head as Emma entered the room. Her legs were folded awkwardly underneath her and her shoulders were twisted from too long spent in the same position. For a terrifying moment Emma thought she was dead and she stumbled down the short flight of stairs, falling to her knees in the dirt before her.

"Oh, God."

The first sign she had that Regina was still alive was when she flinched away from Emma's involuntary, comforting touch. Her eyes were glassy and her gaze was unfocused, almost unseeing. Emma had a horrible flashback to the Regina of Storybrooke, always perfectly in control, perfectly put together. Never a hair out of place, no matter what time of day or night. This Regina was nearly unrecognizable. Her eyes were dark and sunken in their sockets, and her skin was pale and seemed somehow to fall away from her like folds of fabric. The tracks of tears and dirt painted her face in lieu of her usual makeup, her lips stained red with blood rather than lipstick.

Emma had to look away, tears pricking at her eyes. Taking a calming breath, she began to work on the chains that held Regina captive, trying to harness the same power that had allowed her to break down the door. But she could no longer find that dispassionate focus that had given her the ability to channel the power; she kept seeing Regina's face, bowed and broken, with all of the fear and distrust of an animal that has been kicked too many times.

"Emma...?" Regina's voice was cracked and almost inaudible.

"It's me, Regina. Just hold on, I'll get you out of here."

"Leave...me..." She coughed. "...get to Henry faster without me..."

Emma paused, turning to look into Regina's eyes with fierce determination. "I'm not leaving you here. I don't care what he says, Henry _needs _you. You're his mother."

When Regina just hung her head, not even bothering to argue, Emma felt the rejection like a knife in her chest.

"Listen to me, Madame Mayor. You were right, that first night. You've fed him, clothed him and taken care of him for ten years. Soothed every fever, right? I don't want to take Henry from you. I never have, and I never will. We'll get him home and safe together."

Emma attacked the chains with renewed purpose; she really had to get Regina out of here before they could deal with...whatever this was.

It was a laughing voice from somewhere above that finally broke her conversation.

"You should have left when you had the chance."

Emma whirled around, hand on sword. Tess leapt nimbly from the top of the steps to the dirt floor, a wide grin on her face. "Really. I mean, I even give you your sword back and you still stick around for this...witch."

Emma narrowed her eyes, holding her sword in front of her in her best fighting pose. She hoped it looked intimidating. "I'm not leaving her."

Tess shook her head mockingly."I thought you were smarter than that. Now I'm afraid you'll have to join her on a more...permanent basis. I'm sure she'll appreciate the company down here."

Emma lunged but Tess easily parried her attacks with her knife. "You seemed like such a nice person, too. Why the hell would you be running around with a bitch like her?"

"She's my...friend."

"I hate to break it to you, but witches don't have friends. She's just using you, whether you know it or not."

Emma spared a glance for Regina, who was watching her with those dark, endless eyes. She thought of the way they flashed when they were fighting, of the depth of emotion they showed when Henry was in danger.

"You're lying. She won't betray me."

Tess shrugged. "Suit yourself. But remember I warned you. Magic ruins lives, even the lives of the people who wield it. She will destroy you, if you let her."

Suddenly Emma found herself locked in serious combat with a woman who was trying very hard to kill her. Even though she had the reach of a long sword the bandit seemed to be everywhere at once. It was all Emma could do to parry her vicious attacks, and she was gradually being maneuvered against a wall. Tess smiled, sensing victory.

In a furry of black feathers the Raven sprang from the shadows. Both women had forgotten about him in the heat of battle, and he pecked furiously at a stunned Tess's face. She threw up her hands instinctively and Emma saw her chance. She darted forward, feeling the smooth power of the sword guiding her movements as she drove her blade into the bandit's shoulder. With a cry of pain Tess dropped her knife and Emma shoved her to the ground with a feral growl, power still thrumming in her veins. She pressed the tip of her sword to Tess's throat, the anger and pain she had been feeling since finding Regina rising inside her once more. She felt almost helpless in its thrall, and her vision tinged red as she imagined her revenge. She was more than tempted to take this woman's life for what she had done to the Mayor, but instead she leaned down and took the woman's weapon, throwing it in a corner.

"Against the wall. Now."

One hand pressing against her useless shoulder to stop the blood, Tess still managed to smirk. "Can't kill me, huh? I thought so. Weak."

Emma ignored her. "How do I unlock her chains?"

Tess laughed in her face. "I don't just carry those keys around anywhere. You never know what might happen."

Emma growled and raised her sword with clear intention, but she was stopped by Regina's voice. "The cuff...take it off..."

With one eye on the bandit, Emma reached down and unclasped the cuff from Regina's wrist. Regina took a slow, shuddering breath, and her eyes slipped closed as her whole body tensed painfully. The metal chains pinning her to the wall glowed brightly and then disappeared. Regina slumped to the ground, unconscious.

"It doesn't matter, you know. The Snow Queen will never let him go, no matter what you do."

To Tess's great surprise, Emma smiled, even chuckled. "Rescuing this family is getting to be kind of a habit with me." She punched the bandit as hard as she could, sword still in hand so the guard caught her fully in the face. With a satisfying _crunch_ Emma heard her nose break as she fell to the floor, unconscious.

Sheathing her sword, Emma picked Regina up in a fireman's carry. "Raven! Let's get the hell out of here."

The Raven bobbed his head in something approximating a nod. "This way. The Reindeer told me of a secret exit his master used to use when he wanted to slip away." He flew out of the dungeon and up the stairs, Emma following as quickly as she could manage. He took off through a maze of doors and hallways, flitting back and forth as he recalled the Reindeer's instructions. At every turn Emma half-expected the bandits to jump out at them, but after several minutes that seemed to stretch into hours she stumbled out a final door into the moonlight. The Reindeer was waiting for them, pawing at the ground and watching her with soft eyes. A leather pack hung around his neck. "Hello. The Raven has told me much about you."

"Hey. Um, good to meet you to. Can I, uh..." She gestured vaguely to Regina and the Reindeer's back.

"Certainly." He turned to allow her to drape Regina over his back. "We need to hurry. The bandits are disorganized now but you are valuable to them. They will try to hunt us down."

"Right. Okay. Any ideas?"

"Follow me."

Emma placed a hand on Regina's back so she wouldn't fall off and walked next to him as he led them through the woods, the Raven flying nervously ahead and then behind them, keeping lookout.

"Shouldn't we be, I don't know, covering our tracks or something?"

The Reindeer huffed and tossed his head in what Emma could only assume was a Reindeer laugh. "The bandits would find us while we were still covering up! We'll come to a creek soon. If we follow the water they can't track us."

"Oh."

They walked silently until they came to the creek. Truly, Emma was still in shock, her fingers tracing absent patterns on Regina's back. She'd never thought that anything could break such a strong woman. She seemed like a force of nature, crushing Storybrooke under one of her expensive heels. Every inch the Evil Queen from a fairy-tale. Emma wondered, now, how much of that was because she had been afraid. Afraid that if even a single thing started changing she would lose everything. No wonder she'd been a bitch since the first time Emma showed up on her doorstep. If all the stories in Henry's book was true – and that was looking pretty good - Emma threatened everything she held dear, everything she'd worked for.

Emma wondered what had happened to cause Regina to become so afraid of living that she would willingly subject herself to that curse. At least all the other people who had been cursed; Mary Margaret, David, Kathryn, Ruby...at least they didn't know what they were missing. Regina had lived with the loss of everything she'd held dear, literally her whole world, every day for twenty-eight years. Surrounded by the ghosts of the past, unable to move forward.

Emma was so caught up in her thoughts that she almost walked right into a rock wall. At the mouth of the creek was a small pool and a waterfall. The Reindeer glanced over at her.

"This way."

He walked under the waterfall...and disappeared. Emma hurried to follow him.

Under the waterfall was a cavern cut in the rock by thousands of years of erosion. It wasn't too deep, but there was enough room for both humans and animals to lay down comfortably.

"This is a secret cave. We can stay here for the rest of the night and slip away in the morning. There is a wise lady I knew in my youth who lives near here. She will help us."

Gently Emma eased Regina to the floor, taking off her leather jacket to make a pillow for Regina's head. She cupped her hands and dipped them into the pool, using the cool water to gently wash Regina's face.

The Mayor groaned, finally waking up. "Ngh...Emma?"

"Hey." Emma smiled at her. "We've got to stop meeting like this."

"What?"

"Rescuing you. I'm doing it far too often."

Regina's lips quirked slightly in what might be mistaken as a smile. "W-Water?"

"Sure." Emma brought her hands to Regina's lips, carefully angling them so she could drink. After a couple minutes and several refills, Emma lowered her hands. "Not too much or you'll get sick."

"Where are we?"  
>"Safe, for now. We can stay here until you're feeling better."<p>

The Raven hopped up. "We have food, your Majesty!"

Emma remembered the satchel around the Reindeer's neck and opened it. Inside was some fruit, salted meat that looked vaguely like beef jerky, bread and some cheese. Emma handed some cheese and a piece of fruit to Regina, who had struggled to a semi-recumbent position and was resting on her forearms. Emma kept digging in the pack, revealing some flint and steel and a threadbare blanket. The Reindeer just lay down, resting his head on the cold stone. "You should try to get some sleep."

Regina seemed to notice him for the first time. "Who's he?"

"A friend. He's helping us escape."

"Oh." Regina had lain back down after eating and Emma could tell that she was falling asleep. She wondered just what had happened to the brunette while she was down in that..._hole._ How long had she been without food or water? Questions for another time.

There was no point in trying to start a fire, as she would have had to venture into the woods to find wood and it would have probably just gotten too wet to burn anyway, so Emma curled herself around Regina and covered them with the blanket, a liberty she would never have been able to take had the other woman been her usual self. Exhausted, she drifted off to sleep.

**A/N: I know this is a week late. You're lovely. I'm sorry. I'm getting into that point of the graduate school semester where I go "Oh god what have I gotten myself into," but I will try to continue updating at least once a week. As usual, feedback is awesome. Let me know what works and what doesn't so I can fix it/do more of it. **


	7. Chapter 4

They did not leave that day or the next one. Regina remained unconscious for the majority of the first day, and Emma and the two animals agreed that it was too risky to try to travel until she could at least ride upon the Reindeer's back. Emma took advantage of the other woman's state to carefully remove Regina's filthy and tattered clothing, rinsing out her many cuts and wounds as much as she could. Internally, she cursed this crazy fairytale world. What was the point of a world with magic in it if you still had to travel by horse and worry about being attacked by bandits and assassins and whatever else was out there, waiting for them! Give her her VW bug and some antiseptic, any day.

In her sudden burst of anger, her hand slipped and she brushed one of the angry blue-black welts that marred Regina's skin. Even in her sleep she flinched away involuntarily, letting out a low moan of pain that snapped Emma's attention back to the task at hand. With her focus so suddenly on the patchwork of mottled bruises and cuts, Emma felt her stomach roll. There was just something fundamentally wrong with a world that could reduce such a strong, beautiful woman to...to _this_. Regina was imposing. Regina never gave in. She was like a law of nature, and any place that could break her... it just made Emma shudder. She didn't really know how to explain it otherwise. It was wrong, and creepy, and, and, _wrong_, and she couldn't wait to find Henry and get them all the hell out of here and back to her own world.

"Emma?" Even in the dark of the cave Emma could see that Regina's pupils were dilated, too-wide and unfocused. She ran her hand over the brunette's forehead and let out a low breath of relief. No fever, at least.

"Yeah?"

"C-cold."

Oh yeah. She was lying on a wet, stone floor completely naked, after all. Emma hurriedly wrapped her up in a blanket, cursing herself for waking Regina up. She really sucked at the whole 'taking care of other people' thing. If the situations were reversed, Regina would have known what to do. Of course, she probably would have had some magic to help her out, too. Assuming Regina didn't just try to kill her in the first place. Somehow she thought that they had moved past that without even acknowledging it.

Regina shifted in Emma's arms, instinctively seeking out her body heat. "Thank you."

Emma turned surprised eyes on Regina, who was already asleep. It figured that when she got a 'thank you' out of the woman, she probably didn't even know that she had said it. With a sigh, Emma settled down beside Regina, curling her body around the other woman's as she had the first night. The adrenaline of the previous night had completely left her, and suddenly she felt very small and alone, holed up in a cave with a bird, a deer, and her son's mother/worst enemy, a woman she was beginning to realize she didn't know at all.

As it turned out, she only got several hours of sleep before she was woken by a kicking and screaming Regina.

"Regina, Regina!" She dodged blows as best she could, struggling to pin the other woman down. For a person recently on the verge of death, Regina was pretty damn strong.

"Don't touch me, you fucking bitch!" Regina thrashed in Emma's grip, managing to get her mouth on Emma's shoulder and biting down hard.

"Sonofabitch!"

With renewed vigor – damn that hurt – Emma wrapped Regina's hands in the blanket and straddled her legs, making sure to stay far away from her mouth.

"'Gina! It's me, Emma. You're safe, you need to calm down."

Regina's eyes snapped open, focusing on Emma.

"Emma?"

Emma smiled, rolling off of her. "Yeah, it's me. You were having a nightmare."

To her endless surprise and confusion, Regina burst into tears, pulling the blanket to her chest. Slowly, still wary of this woman who had tried to knock her out just moments before, Emma curled an arm around Regina and drew what she hoped were comforting circles on her back. Even bawling like a baby, Regina was terrifying. Maybe more so, now.

With a soft, hiccuping laugh Regina managed to gain control of her emotions.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me."

"'S ok. It's been a rough couple of days."

"I- Yes. Yes it has."

Regina's face paled as she stared at a spot on the far wall, remembering. Emma noticed and could have slapped herself for bringing up those memories.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No."

"Oh. Ah, okay."

They were silent for a moment, until Regina spoke again.

"How did you find me?"

"The Reindeer helped the Raven get a lay of the place, and I, uh, persuaded a guard to tell me where you were. Not exactly the highest room in the tallest tower, but, well..." Emma trailed off, shrugging. "You didn't miss much."

The ghost of a smile crossed Regina's face, and her gaze settled on Emma. "The tallest tower?"

Emma flushed. "Y'know. If you need to rescue a princess, she's always in the tallest tower. Not that you're a princess, although I guess you were a queen, so it sort of counts."

Regina did smile, then, at Emma's floundering. "You should stop while you're behind."

"Only you would treat someone who risked life and limb to rescue you like this."

The smile fell.

"Thank you, for that."

"I never would have left you there."

"Because that's what 'good people' do, right?"

"No." Emma took a breath, wondering if she was doing the right thing. She glanced at Regina's face, beautiful even when it was bruised and pale, with those expressive eyes, a far cry from the Evil Witch of Henry's storybook...she was over-thinking it. She'd always followed her gut instinct, no reason to stop now.

"Because that's what friends do."

Regina raised an eyebrow but said nothing, and Emma took that as a good sign.

"Is there anything to eat?"

"Some dried meat, but that's pretty much it. And even that I wouldn't touch unless you're absolutely starving. Bandit cooking skills aren't much, apparently."

Regina struggled into a sitting position, back against the wall. She frowned, concentrating heavily, and an apple popped into existence on her lap. She picked it up with a flourish and a small smirk.

"Your magic's back!"

"In a way. That took far more out of me than it should have."

Emma settled down beside her, resting a hand on Regina's knee.

"It'll come back to you."

Regina nodded, thoughtfully, then offered Emma a bite of the apple.

"I'm afraid I don't have enough energy for two."

"Don't worry about it; I'm not really hungry anyway." But she appreciated the gesture, appreciated what it signified. "I think I'm gonna try to get some sleep."

She couldn't sleep, of course. Not with Regina, who had apparently become her new friend, _right there. _And especially not when Regina lay down next to her, covering them both in the small blanket, so small that they had to curl up, bodies flush, to fit under it. Sure, they had spent the past two nights in the same position. But that had been different, Regina hadn't even been conscious for most of it. Now she felt as if she had been lit on fire, every meeting of their skin. It was a long time before she drifted off into a fitful sleep.

XxXx

Regina shook Emma awake at dawn, eager to get the hell out of the cave and as far away from the bandits and their leader as humanly possible. She had managed to create some new clothes and was starting to feel a bit like her old self again.

"Huh, what?"

"It's time to go, Emma."

"Are you sure you're feeling up to it?"

Regina smirked. "You should know it takes a lot more than that to get rid of an Evil Queen."

The Reindeer interrupted them. "We should leave as soon as you are able, Your Majesty. If you could get on my back?"  
>Regina glanced sidelong at Emma. "I...I may need a little help."<p>

"Oh, sure! Of course!" Emma scrambled to her feet, reaching for Regina's arm to help her onto the Reindeer and tying a rope around his stomach to give her something to hold onto. Emma ran her hand over the Reindeer's soft fur, then squared her shoulders. "I guess we should get going then."

The Reindeer led them under the waterfall and away from the cave, the Raven resuming his scouting duties and scouring the woods for bandits.

Mist rose from the ground and the sun burned through the branches of the trees above, tinging everything with an emerald glow. The day passed in relative silence, as did the next several. After a few abortive starts, Emma had given up on trying to talk to Regina about what had happened to her in the bandit's camp. She wasn't sure she wanted to know, really, although she _was_ sure that it wasn't good for Regina to hold it all inside. But their friendship was so new, so fragile...she didn't want to jeopardize that just yet. She hoped that Regina would find a way to talk to her in her own time.

At night, they would light a small fire and eat whatever they had found or conjured up for dinner. And later, as the embers died down and the moon rose high in the sky, the two women would find themselves huddled under the same small blanket, for warmth, for comfort...perhaps for something else. They never talked about that, either.

On the fourth day, their small party came upon a tiny hut made of slabs cut directly from the earth. The roof sloped almost to the ground, and a battered metal chimney clawed its way toward the sky. Inside was an old woman stooped low over a hot fire, neatly resembling the house itself. She greeted the travelers, especially the Reindeer, whom she had known as a youth. The Reindeer, for his part, told the woman his story, then Emma and Regina's. The old woman listened quietly, stirring her dinner.

"I've seen your son."

"Really?" Emma could have jumped up and down in excitement, or at least done a little dance, but there was barely enough room to turn around in the small shack. "Where is he?"

"The Snow Queen has him, you can be sure of that. Her great Dragon flew over here many day ago carrying him to her. I have seen him in my visions, as well."

The Reindeer pawed at the dirt floor. "Is there anything you can do to help them get their son back?"

The old woman shook her head, sadly. "There is nothing I can do. The Snow Queen has cast a spell on him, and I do not know of any way to remove the enchantment. The power is older than anything human in this world."

"But we have magic! We can save him!"

The woman shook her head at Emma. "Whatever magic you have will not help you against the Snow Queen. Besides, you must defeat the Dragon first, and he cannot be touched by magic at all."

Emma slumped against the wall. This world just got better and better. Sure, they had magic here, but they also had giant monsters who were impervious to it, so what was the damn point? She turned her head, intending to ask Regina if there was anything they could do; the other woman had been unnervingly silent since the old woman had started talking.

A chill shot its way up her spine, raising goosebumps in its wake.

Regina was gone.

**A/N: This is a lot shorter than it should be, considering the time it's taken. But real life has played me a dirty hand this month and I didn't feel much like writing, to be perfectly honest. Thank you all for sticking with this story and leaving me all those lovely reviews. I'll try to get something more up soon. I have a good idea of what's going to happen from here on out, and 'Stable Boy' will probably inspire me.**


	8. Chapter 5

Henry had to run to keep up with the Queen. She seemed to float over the floor rather than walk as she turned down hall after hall. Wall after wall of blue ice shimmered in the midday sun, but imparted no warmth to the scurrying boy. Fog formed from his panting breath and immediately froze.

The Snow Queen paused, turning inscrutable eyes on Henry.

"You are cold."

Henry had to bite back the urge to make a sarcastic comment as he stood shivering. He was Regina's son, after all.

The Queen waved her hand and a cloak appeared, made from the same shifting fabric as her dress. More gently than he would have given her credit for, she laid the cloak around his shoulders. Small hands grasped at the soft folds as he drew it around himself.

"W-where are we going?" But the Queen ignored his question.

"I am sorry I did not greet you sooner, Henry Mills. I had...business to attend to." She continued walking, but soon stopped at a black wall, considering it closely. She pressed one hand against the wall, and Henry felt more than heard a deep humming noise. It got louder and louder as he listened, seeming to come from within the ice itself. The black wall glowed and faded away, revealing a cavernous throne room.

"Come, boy." The Queen wrapped a clawed hand on Henry's should, guiding him to a chair next to the throne. All of the furniture in the room was made of ice, but a dirty fur pelt covered the chair - a stark contrast to the smooth, gleaming ice.

"What are you going to do with me?" Henry winced as his voice wavered. He was pretty sure heroes' voices never cracked.

"You are nothing. It is your mother I need."

Henry's eyes widened. "Emma? What about her?"

"No, not her. The Evil Queen, I believe you call her. I know her merely as Regina."

"Why?"

"Your questions tire me, boy, and my intentions are none of your concern."

"I'm not afraid of you. I know that only Emma can end my mom's curse, which means that only Emma can do anything to her. You're not even in the book!"

"Ah yes..." The Queen sank into the throne, running her fingernails over its mirrored surface. It produced a sharp sound, like nails on a chalkboard, and Henry yelped in surprise and pain, pressing his hands tightly against his ears.

"You have quite a remarkable book. I believe it tells you stories of this world, yes?"

"...yeah."

"Then I will give you a little hint. The way to save your family is contained in the pages of that book. All you need to do...is find it."

"But I've read it over and over! There's nothing there!"

"Why don't you try again?"

So Henry opened his book, and saw that several pages had been added since he last looked at it. He saw his mother and Emma following him through the cave, Regina rescuing Emma from the old witch, and their journey to the princess's castle. He read on, fat tears rolling down his face as he learned of his mother's imprisonment at the hands of the bandit, and silently cheering Emma's daring rescue.

Henry didn't even notice as the Queen swept out of the room, leaving him to read. The only sound was the soft rustle of paper as he turned page after page, looking for the answer that would send them home.

XxXx

The door banged loudly against the earthen wall of the hut as Emma raced through it, just barely catching sight of a dark figure disappearing into the woods. With a muttered curse, she took off after Regina.

After ten minutes, Emma had caught three branches with her face, tripped twice, her knee was bleeding, and she was still no closer to overtaking the Major. _How does she move so fast?_

**Fwoosh!**

Emma tucked and rolled, barely avoiding being set on fire as she stumbled suddenly into a clearing.

"Regina!"

But the other woman didn't even seem to notice her as she fired fireball after fireball at the helpless trees. Carefully, Emma crept up behind the other woman and trapped her in a bear-hug, pinning her arms to her sides so she wouldn't set them all on fire.

"Regina! Calm down!"

With her ability for wanton destruction taken away, Regina sagged in Emma's arms as she struggled to find another way to express her emotions. Finally, they seemed to get the better of her and a low, keening wail tore itself from he lips as tears fell over her reddened cheeks. She twisted in Emma's embrace and the blonde simply held her, not really sure what to do to comfort the sobbing woman. Eventually, Regina seemed to gain control over herself again and pulled back.

"I-I'm sorry, Emma. I don't know-"

But Emma wasn't paying attention, staring at Regina's hands instead. "You're burned..."  
>Regina glanced down at them in surprise - she hadn't even felt it - but waved it off. "It's nothing. If I use magic without the proper focus... it's nothing."<p>

Emma just shook her head at the other woman's attempt to redirect her attention, taking Regina's hands in her own and gently kissing the wounded flesh.

Regina flinched, more out of shock than anything else. "What are you doing?"

Emma shrugged. She really didn't know why she had done it, either. "Um. Seemed like the thing to do?" She was ready for a caustic comment, but it never came. Just more proof that Regina wasn't herself, that she really hadn't been since Emma had rescued her from that damned dungeon.

"So, wanna tell me why you're out here trying to give Smoky the Bear a heart attack?"

Regina looked at Emma like she was crazy, but the Sheriff didn't really mind as long as she wasn't crying again.

"The old woman is right. There's nothing we can do against the dragon, much less the Snow Queen herself. Henry will be trapped here forever and it's all my fault."

"Hey." Emma gently took hold of Regina's chin, forcing her to look her in the eyes. "We can't give up now, not without trying. There's got to be a way to get around this dragon thing, and we _will _get Henry back. We've gotten this far together, what's a few more fucked up fairy tale creatures?"

Regina would have laughed, purely out of adrenaline, but the sobs were coming fast again, making her breath catch in her throat, choking her. Instead, she lashed out at Emma, pushing her away with such force that the blonde fell to the ground.

"Don't you understand? There is no happy ending for people like me! Not here, not in Storybrooke. I am the Evil Queen, dear...everything I touch is cursed..."

Emma sat up, studying Regina intently. "What did you give to the dragon?"

The question was so unexpected that Regina nearly stopped crying for a moment. "What?"

"Henry's book showed you giving something to the dragon. It's why he was in the cave. What was it?"

Regina sighed. "I gave it my heart."

"You _what_?"

Regina sat down on the ground next to Emma. Clearly this was going to require some explanation, an inevitability she had been dreading since they'd first set foot in this land.

"My mother was rather...difficult."

"She abused you." Emma looked at Regina with a sudden light of understanding, and Regina felt an unexplained surge of anger toward the woman. It was misplaced, she knew, so she swallowed the feeling and continued.

"There's no word for it here, but yes. She abused me. Nothing I did was ever good enough for her, and if I tried something she didn't approve of...she would punish me with magic."

"Your father?"

"There was nothing he could do, not that he ever tried. He loved me, but he was too afraid of her, of what she could do." She closed her eyes briefly, remembering. "She promised me in marriage to Snow White's father, but I was in love with a boy who worked in the stables. Daniel. We were going to run away together...we were going to be happy. Snow found out. I made her promise not to tell anyone, but she told my mother. She said - she said no one should lose their mother. So my mother found us. And she killed Daniel."

She heard Emma gasp, but she continued. It had been a very long time since she had talked to anyone about this and the words seemed rush out of her in a flood now that she had released them.

"The night before my marriage I was going to kill myself. I had it all planned; a knife, a note. Rumpelstiltskin came to me before I could go through with it. He offered me a deal. He said he could make it so that my heart would never break again, and in return I would owe him a favor." She snorted in derision. "That worked out well...He took me to the lair of the ice dragon. Dragons are natural hoarders, and this particular one had never been defeated or lost anything from his horde. Rumpelstiltskin reached into my chest and pulled out my heart. I gave it to the dragon to keep forever, so I could finally let go of the pain."

"Deals with Rumpelstiltskin are rarely what they seem. I would never have my heart broken because without it I could never feel love again. My hate consumed me. There was nothing left for me but revenge on the people who had taken away my only chance for a happy ending and imprisoned me in a castle, married to a man who was old enough to be my father. I assume the rest of the story is in Henry's book."

"Regina...I didn't know."

"Why would you?"

"And Henry? You can't love him?"

Regina sighed. "I thought it might be different with a child. That maybe the curse would only work for romantic love. I love him as much as I can – if I still had the ability, with all of my heart. I would do anything for him. I would die for him."

Emma drew Regina into her arms, weighing her next words carefully. She felt that she should tell Regina the truth, especially after all that Regina had just told her, but she was afraid of the reaction she might get. Emotional women were scary enough as it was, an emotional Regina was downright deadly. But she had to say _something_.

True to form, once she had made up her mind she blurted it all out in a rush. "Snowwhite'smymom!"

For a second she thought Regina hadn't heard her, and she was gathering her remaining courage to say it again. However, Regina simply looked up at her with a resigned expression on her face, but made no move to leave the circle of Emma's embrace.

"So it's you then. The White Knight arriving in a yellow VW bug to slay the Evil Queen and save the day. I thought I at least merited a horse."

"I'll see what I can do about trading her in for a Mustang." Emma joked, trying to relieve some of the tension. There was no corresponding smile on the Mayor's lips, and when Emma looked into her eyes, she found something there that she had never seen. She was used to those expressive brown eyes sparkling with malevolent intent, or narrowed in passionate anger, but now they were blank, dead. A chill slipped down her spine and she knew then which side she would chose.

"You're not the Evil Queen. And I'm not going to slay you."

Regina smiled, a cold quirk of her mouth. "You won't have a choice, dear. It's already been written."

Emma growled. "I knew I hated fairy tales for a reason. I'm not going to destroy you. We're going to go take care of a dragon, take your heart back, save Henry, and find a way back to Storybrooke. And then you are going to give me a very, very tall glass of apple cider." She pulled Regina with her to a standing position and dragged the other woman back though the woods. Regina let herself be led with little protest. It was hopeless, she knew; it would take a miracle for them to be able to best the dragon, much less the Snow Queen, but Emma seemed so sure, so confident...it was almost enough to make her believe.

* * *

><p>AN: So there's that. Not big on the action, I know, but it ties up some loose ends. There's only two more chapters left, you guys! I don't know what I'm going to do with myself when this is finished (yes I do, write more fanfiction :P). So let me know what you think, I hope it all made sense but if not, I can clear it up in the next couple of chapters. There are some things I purposefully left open, though, because they're part of the story. Review, review, review!


	9. Chapter 6

*The Ice Dragon*

The old woman was stirring something green and foul-smelling when Emma burst back into the hut, Regina in tow. The Reindeer and Raven simply stared at her, not foolish enough to ask what was going on, although she thought the Reindeer might have given her a wink before returning to munching on some moss.

"So..." Emma's voice cut through the silence. "Where is does this dragon hang out?"

The old woman raised her head in confusion. "'Hang out?'"

"She means, how do we get to it's cave?"

"I don't need you to translate for me." Emma glared at the brunette, who was leaning nonchalantly against the wall of the hut. No one would have ever known that she had been weeping in Emma's arms only a half-hour before. Regina merely shrugged, although the lack of a cutting retort (it would have been so easy) made Emma nervous.

"Ah. You must continue North. Soon you will see signs of the dragon. Track him to his lair, and kill him there. Only then can you recover what you have lost."

Regina cut her eyes to the woman (what did she know? And how?) but, again, seemed content to say nothing.

Sighing, Emma waited for more. Perhaps some secret way to take down the dragon, or a magic spell to make the trip shorter – hell, she would have been happy with a snack! But no such offer was forthcoming, and the woman simply returned to stirring the pot.

"I suppose we should get going."  
>"Yes, let's just wander outside in the middle of an Arctic night. My day has been going so well, I feel certain we won't <em>freeze to death<em>." Regina snapped.

Emma simply smirked. Now there was the mayor she knew and...well, knew, anyway. Somehow the low, snarky lilt of her voice comforted the blonde. There was something to be said about old habits, after all.

"Stay here, tonight. I will provide you with some food and clothes for the journey."

The...whatever it was in the pot gave a nasty pop and Emma was suddenly much more eager to try her luck with whatever Regina could conjure up for them than risk the old woman's cooking. However, Regina was already sitting down on a low stool; it was hardly fit for a queen, but she didn't seem to mind. Things had certainly changed. At any rate, she didn't seem inclined to be removed from it any time soon, so Emma found a (relatively) clean spot on the floor and made herself comfortable.

Dinner, despite it's strange appearance and Emma's half-formed apprehensions that is was still alive, turned out to be surprisingly pleasant. Perhaps Regina's unusual silence had something to do with that, too, although it still worried Emma. A quiet Regina was an uncertain Regina, a defeated Regina, and they would need all the strength the mayor possessed.

In point of fact, Emma was so worried about Regina's mental state that she didn't even think about more immediate, pressing matters, such as where they were all going to sleep within the tiny, one room abode. It was only when the old woman was washing the few dishes and the Raven and Reindeer were bedding down outside in the snow that it occurred to her.

Clearly, Regina had had no such problem, as she was already arranging their blanket, along with a few of the old woman's, into a pallet on the floor. (Their blanket. Their son. Their life.) Emma blinked tiredly.

"Coming to bed, Sheriff?" Regina purred, gratified to see Emma flush red, her face light up like a sunrise. At least some things were still predictable. (Controllable.)

Emma chose to ignore the obvious suggestiveness in Regina's voice and lay down on the right side of the makeshift bed. (Her side. Hell, when had _that _happened?) "Go to sleep, Your Highness."

The blankets shifted as Regina lay next to Emma, chuckling. However, within a few minutes Emma could feel the mood shifting, could almost hear Regina's thoughts.

"We're going to save him, Gina."

"If we don't?"

"We _will."_

To her eternal amazement, Emma felt Regina move backwards until their bodies were touching. Regina must have felt her surprise somehow, or else she was feeling exposed, because she quickly came up with an explanation (excuse).

"It's cold, Emma. Middle of the Arctic cold."

Emma smiled, throwing an arm around Regina. The brunette stiffened slightly, but since it looked like the offending body part wouldn't be going anywhere soon, she decided to ignore it. After all, she had gotten used to this position in the last few days, when they had been sleeping together out of necessity. It was almost...comfortable.

XxXx

The morning opened with an expanse of fresh snow as far as the eye could see. The Reindeer appeared suddenly in an explosion of white, shaking powder off of his coat. On a nearby tree, a large clump of snow fell heavily to the ground; after a moment the Raven appeared from under it, preening his feathers unhappily.

Inside the hut, Emma was wavering between sleep and wakefulness, reluctant to leave her warm spot underneath the blanket. She snuggled farther towards the warmth, smiling gently as her nose found sweet, spicy skin.

"Something you want to tell me?"

Emma shot straight up in the air. "Regina!"

"Expecting someone else, dear?"

"Ah, no, I was just -"

"Having a good dream?"

"You wish." Emma threw off the blanket, shivering slightly when the cold air met her overheated skin. She was determined not to let Regina see it, however, and stalked out of the door in a huff. Regina simply watched her go with an inscrutable look, then set about packing their few belongings.

The old woman shuffled toward her with a dirty leather pouch in her hands. "Lover's quarrel?"

"No! No, we're – we're not involved."

The woman looked genuinely surprised. "I'm sorry. You said you were looking for your son and I assumed..."

"You're assumptions were incorrect. We're only traveling together to rescue _my _son. Nothing else."

"That's too bad dear. You would make quite a cute couple."

Regina snorted in derision. "Hardly. We can barely stand each other."

Wild grey hair twisted and swirled as the old woman turned to look pointedly at the spot on the floor where Emma and Regina had slept together. "Indeed."

Any further retort Regina might have made was cut off by Emma's return. A burst of air sent the fire crackling and Emma quickly closed the door, shivering.

"It's cold out there."

Regina quirked an eyebrow. "I never would have guessed."

"Hey. No comments from the peanut gallery or I'll make you walk all the way there." Regina was in the process of folding the last blanket when Emma plucked it out of her hands and wrapped it around herself snugly, earning her a glare from the mayor. "At least fighting a dragon will be warm."

"By all means, Sheriff, go find out exactly how _warm_ a dragon can be." Regina busied herself with their leather bags and carried them outside, steadfastly ignoring the chill air. Emma followed, not wanting the be left behind but reluctant to leave the fireside.

The Reindeer stood stoically in the snow, a makeshift bridal around his neck and chest. The Raven was perched on the Reindeer's antlers, hopping unsteadily from one foot to the other. He was clearly no happier with the weather than Emma, and was trying to keep his exposed legs as warm as possible.

Speaking of...while Emma was watching the Raven in amusement, Regina ripped the blanket from her grasp, causing Emma to yelp and break out in a dance of her own. Ignoring the other woman as completely as she could – which was pretty well, considering the practice she'd had in Storybrooke – Regina smoothed the blanket along the Reindeer's back. It wasn't quite a saddle, but it would have to do. She turned to look at Emma.

"Get on."

"What?"

"The Reindeer can't support both of us and I'm not going to listen to you complain about walking in the snow all day."

"Oh, I don't know, hypothermia might be worth it if you help me warm up." Emma grinned, waggling her eyebrows at the former queen, who was suddenly looking much more regal and, _yikes_, dangerous. Emma continued hurriedly: "You should be riding, anyway. The past few days, I mean...you should be resting."

"I assure you, I am perfectly capable of walking." Regina's eyes flashed dangerously, reminding Emma more of the Mayor she had first met and not the teasing familiarity they'd fallen into lately. Then, suddenly, a flicker; a spark of something Emma would not even have known to look for before coming to this messed up world. Dark eyes seemed even darker, but not with the passion that Emma had come expect. (Enjoy).

Regina turned away from Emma, gazing out across the icy land. "We should take turns, to keep from getting too cold." Without waiting for assent, she gracefully mounted the Reindeer. "Are you ready?"

"Sure." Emma knew better than to ask what had happened. Regina had been entirely too forthcoming yesterday, and some part of her had been expecting a backlash. She just didn't understand why it hurt to be shut out again.

XxXx

After a few hours of traveling, their little party left the icy plains for icy woods. Thinking about the last time they had been taken unawares from the trees, Emma tried to extend her senses to take in every small sound. Without realizing it, she lay a protective hand on Regina's leg as she walked beside the Reindeer. The brunette certainly noticed it, but her mind too was on past events, and she let the warm touch linger.

"Emma."

"Hm?"

"It's your turn to ride."

"What, not comfortable up there?"

"My ass is about to freeze off, if you must know."

Emma considered the ass in question as Regina dismounted. "Well we can't have that..." She muttered under her breath.

"What was that?"

Emma's eyes shot up. Regina, damn her, was smiling in that superior way she did when she knew she had the upper hand on someone.

"Nothing. Help me up?" She was expecting Regina to lean down and give her a boost, although really she should have known better. Mayor Mills would never get her hands dirty like that. Instead, Regina placed her hands on Emma's slim hips, guiding her body as she ungainly scrambled onto the Reindeer's back. Squirming around to find the most comfortable position, Emma determinedly hid her body's reaction to the other woman's touch.

"So, how long do you think it'll take for us to find this dragon?" Days and nights flowed strangely this far north, and there was still plenty of daylight left, but Emma did not want to be out here any longer than she absolutely had to.

"We should start seeing signs soon."

"How am I supposed to know what dragon signs look like? I don't suppose there's an arrow somewhere that says 'Dragon, this way', 'cause that's about the extent of my wood skills."

"Just look for something on fire; I doubt even someone with your observational prowess can miss that."

Emma had a good comeback, she really did, but at that moment the Raven landed heavily before them.

"Your Majesty!" He squawked, clearly no more adapted to the snow than he had been this morning. "Scorch marks ahead, leading to the west!" With a little hop and a flap, he lead them to a blackened tree. The charred surface and fire-hardened ground underneath proved that this was no natural accident, especially in this cold weather.

Regina placed a hand on the tree, closing her eyes as she extended her magical senses.

"It's fresh; the snow hasn't had a chance to cover the ground yet." She scanned the area around them. Tall trees in every direction looked pretty much the same to Emma, but Regina seemed to know what she was looking for and soon found it.

"This way."

Emma flattened herself against the Reindeer's neck, not caring if she looked stupid. There was a fucking dragon in the area, and she was sure as hell not going to provide it with a target.

"Not much further, although I think we should go the rest of the way on foot." Regina patted the Raven's feather's fondly while Emma scrambled to the ground. "You'd better stay here, my friend."

"If that is your wish." The Raven bowed – an odd sight – and flew into a nearby tree, keeping watch in case there were any nasty surprises awaiting the two women. Emma wasn't sure how it could get worse than an invincible dragon, but she didn't doubt the ability of this world to come up with _something_.

Regina placed a finger to her lips and motioned for Emma to follow, darting from tree to tree. The sun was finally beginning to set, casting long shadows over the ground and providing cover for the women – although Emma seemed to need it more than Regina. What the hell did they teach at Evil Queen school, anyway? How to be a super-spy?

When Regina finally stopped, it was so abruptly that Emma nearly ran into her.

"There."

Emma followed Regina's gaze to a glittering cave in the side of a mountain. As they slowly crept toward it, Emma could see the sun reflecting off of icicles at the cave's mouth and – her jaw dropped a bit – piles of gold and jewels, some taller than she was.

"Holy shit." She breathed, with as much reverence as another person might utter a prayer. Regina actually had to reach over and close the Sheriff's mouth for her.

"Focus. The dragon can't be far away..."

A low rumble sounded from within the cave and Emma winced.

"Ok, we need a plan."

Regina smirked. "I thought you were more the 'ask questions later' type?"

"Not when dealing with lizards hundreds of times my size."

"There's no need to get dramatic, dear. It's only fifty times your size, at most."

Emma glared at her. "Has anyone ever told you that you have a real knack for making people feel better?"

"Not really, no."

"Amazing. So, ah, how about this? You put on one of your light shows to distract the dragon while I sneak up and take him out?"

"That is, without a doubt, the stupidest plan I have ever heard."

"I'm sorry, did you have something better, Your Highness?"

"Yes, actually, I..." Regina's eyes, which had narrowed to slits while she was arguing with Emma, widened suddenly. "MOVE!" She launched herself at Emma, shoving the other woman into the snow, a column of fire igniting the space they had been occupying a moment ago. As soon as she could, Regina grabbed Emma's hand and pulled her towards cave, a giant, white dragon slithering after them, the sun glinting off of its shining icy scales.

"What happened?"

"You woke a sleeping dragon!"

"Me? You were the one yelling about how stupid my plan was!"

"Oh, just - shut up!" Without looking Regina threw a hand out behind her, forcing a wall of snow between the fleeing women and the dragon. It wouldn't last for long, but it gave them a chance to hide behind the vast piles of treasure.

Emma had drawn her sword, although she didn't seem to quite realize it yet as they crouched low behind a particularly dense stack. Regina only had a moment to register the crazed look in the blonde's eyes before she launched herself around a corner, yelling "watch my back!" to the brunette.

"Emma!" Of all the impulsive, idiotic, brainless things to do! That damn woman was going to get herself killed! Adrenaline pulsing through her veins, Regina desperately threw up another wall of snow to protect Emma from a noticeably vicious flame attack. Her magic may not have been able to affect the dragon directly, but she could still protect them from some of the indirect dangers...like spontaneous combustion. The snow vaporized instantly, filling the cave with a thick mist.

Emma heard Regina calling her name but didn't dare look back, concentrating instead on working her way to the front of the dragon's body while the mist still blocked her approach. _Please, Gina, I need you to work with me here._

Something (intuition? fate?) drew Regina's attention to the ceiling of the cave. The dragon was thrashing around, trying to find its quarry, but as it couldn't see it was mostly staying in one place...and directly above it...

Emma heard Regina cry out in a language she didn't understand and just barely managed to avoid getting squished as giant icicles crashed to the ground, pinning the dragon. It was only for a moment, but it gave Emma the opportunity she'd been waiting for. A picture of Regina and Henry blossomed behind her eyes and she felt the now-familiar tingling of magic flowing through her body, crackling outward in a stream of light that neatly sliced through the dragon's neck, fracturing it into thousands of pieces.

Emma slumped forward and would have fallen if she hadn't been supported by the sword. Damn, magic really took it out of you. How did Regina manage it?

"Gina..."

"Emma!" Emma looked up only to be knocked on her ass by a stinging slap to her cheek."Don't you ever do that to me again or I will kill you myself!"

"Woah." She lingered on the ground, trying to make the ringing in her ears go away. Regina had stomped off in a huff, going deeper and deeper into the cave until she was almost out of sight. Emma scrambled after her.

They had almost run out of cave when Regina spotted it, a black box resting on a small, unassuming pedestal.

"Is that it?"

Regina only nodded, her eyes fixed on the box. Emma paced a hand on her arm.

"You don't have to, if it's too much."

Regina raised her gaze, an emotion Emma couldn't define haunting beneath placid brown.

"No. It's time."

"Should I – Can I help?"

"Just...turn around, please."

Emma did as she was told, sensing that Regina needed her space. For a moment, the only sound was the creak of rusty hinges as Regina opened the box. When Emma heard the other woman cry out, however, she spun around, hand on the hilt of her sword.

Regina had fallen to her knees on the floor, gasping for breath.

"It hurt more than I remembered."

"How do you feel?" Emma grabbed for Regina's hand, helping her to her feet. When Regina stood Emma realized the full measure of the transformation. The Mayor's face seemed different, open, and the emotions reflected in her eyes seemed...more, somehow. The same passions that Emma had glimpsed only in fleeting moments before were amplified. She felt dizzy, her body electric.

"I feel everything."


	10. Chapter 7

**A/N: Oh my dear sweet swan queen, I can't believe this is actually finished. It's officially the longest thing I've ever written. As I am too tired really for a true author's note, I will say only that I am incredibly humbled by the people who have been following this story for so long, and I hope it lives up to your expectations.**

* * *

><p>It took nearly an hour and a return to rare, sarcastic form by Regina - "If you're so concerned about my condition, <em>Sheriff Swan<em>, I will be happy to provide you with first-hand knowledge of the process" - before Emma felt comfortable venturing outside of the cave to retrieve their supplies and intrepid animal companions. The Raven and Reindeer had wisely stayed out of sight until they heard Emma approaching; although they didn't know the specifics of the events that had taken place in the cave, the Raven had refused to budge from his perch unless his Queen or her companion came for him, and the Reindeer had no reason to argue. It was certainly better nose under the snow for grass than to face down an invincible dragon.

Spying Emma, the Raven cawed loudly.

"The mighty dragon is defeated! How is Her Majesty?"

Emma resisted the urge to roll her eyes. The Raven was a useful friend and companion, but he did have a tendency toward the dramatic.

"Regina's fine. I'm fine, for that matter. Everything that could possibly be fine, is fine." She heaved a couple of sacks over her shoulder and attached what she couldn't carry to the Reindeer. "It looks like we're going to be staying here tonight, if you guys wanna come in out of the snow." It still freaked her out a bit, if she was being perfectly honest. All this fairy-tale stuff. Most of the time she didn't think about it. Most of the time she was too busy not dying, or saving Regina from dying, to think about it. But every once in a while the awareness crept up on her, that the women she was saving at every turn was evil. That she had a mother and father. That her mother and father had killed people. That she knew a man who was really a cricket.

It made her head hurt.

It made her head hurt, and she knew she needed to sit down at some point and really think about it, but today was not going to be that day. Especially when she had a newly-very-emotional ex-Evil Queen to go take care of. And definitely when alcohol was in severe shortage.

Back at the cave, Regina had been busy setting up a makeshift campsite for them. A circle of gemstones ringed a crackling fire, and there was a wall of gold to blocking part of the front of the cave. It was quite possibly the most surreal thing Emma had seen since coming to this world, and that was saying something.

Like everything else, Emma chose to ignore it.

She slung the packs to the ground and began unloading. Their blanket, some food, some clay utensils the old woman had given them. grass for the Reindeer. It was a routine by now, one that Emma gladly fell into with only a few lingering sideways glances towards Regina. The other woman hadn't spoken since Emma had returned, and she seemed to have regained her usual imperiousness. That alone worried Emma. No one should be able to go through something as traumatic as physically putting their heart back in their body and look that put-together. Emma pretended not to notice when Regina smoothed out their pallets on the same side of the fire. She simply focused on poking and prodding the bags into makeshift pillows and didn't think about what it might mean. At all.

Was it like the other nights they had slept next to each other? When necessity had forced them into each other's personal space?

No. Emma shook her head to clear it even as she finished eating and curled against Regina's body for warmth, her heartbeat not new but somehow magnified in the wake of the day's events. She wasn't thinking about it, not even a little.

XxXx

"Emma."

No response.

"Emma."

"Huh? Wuzzat?

"Sheriff Swan!"

"I'm up! I'm up. Damn. What time is it?" For heaven's sake, it was still dark outside, although Emma didn't really know if that meant it was early or late.

"Time for you to wake up. Honestly, it's easier to get Henry up in the morning..." Regina trailed off and for a terrifying moment Emma wondered if she was going to start crying. However, the Mayor only took a short, sharp breath before composing herself and handing Emma a mug full of some hot liquid. Emma took a sip and moaned.

"Oh my god. Marry me."

"What?!"

"Shit. I didn't mean it like that. It's just-" Emma blushed.

Regina sipped from her own mug and wrinkled her nose slightly at the bitter taste.

"A figure of speech. I understand."

The blonde nodded, although privately she thought she might have meant it if they really were stuck in this world and Regina was her only chance of ever tasting coffee again. After so long it was practically orgasmic.

"How?" Complete sentences were for people who got caffeine regularly.

"Magic, dear."

"Hmm. Why?" Also, 'why the hell didn't you do this weeks ago,' but Emma had a feeling that she'd regret that statement very much.

The question seemed to confuse Regina and her cheeks flushed slightly.

"I wanted to."

XxXx

The sun was nearly down again by the time they reached the Snow Queen's palace. Trees had grown gradually shorter and finally faded away to snowy plains as they forged ahead. Every so often – Emma couldn't figure out Regina's schedule to save her life – the two women would switch places so that one could ride while the other walked.

Conversation, after the first interlude about the coffee, was minimal. Consequently Emma was starting to go a little insane. She was pretty sure she had never spent so much time in the company of another person without talking outside of a bed. Even then, there was something that approximated communication. Regina had apparently decided that the best way to deal with thirty years of repressed emotions was to not talk about it at all. Really, Emma mused, that sounded exactly like something the Mayor would do.

She nearly walked into a wall.

"You should really watch where you're going, dear."

"Or you could have warned me. A radical thought, I know."

Regina smirked. "Where would have been the fun in that? Now, this should be the outer perimeter of the Snow Queen's palace. With any luck we can avoid her guards and gain the element of surprise." She turned dismounted from the Reindeer's back gracefully and faced the two Animals. "This is where we part ways, my friends."

The Raven bowed, which was a strange sight in any world. "It has been an honor to fight at your side, My Queen."

Even the Reindeer nodded solemnly. "Now that I have repaid my dept, I will be able to rejoin my family. I believe that you will be able to find your son and do the same. Good luck to you both."

Regina turned to survey the palace, already dismissing the Animals from her single-minded focus on rescuing Henry. Emma couldn't be so severe; she didn't think she would ever be able to master these courtly relations, no matter what happened. Instead she pressed a kiss to the Raven's shiny head and hugged the Reindeer's rough, furry neck.

"Good luck, guys. Thanks for everything."

"Emma!" Regina was already several paces away from them, stealthily following the curve of the outer wall.

"Coming!" The Animals hadn't left yet, instead choosing watching the humans instead with wide, confident eyes. Emma couldn't think of anything more to say, though, so after a few moment of awkward silence she turned to join Regina.

Nearly a half-hour later, the Animals had completely disappeared into the snow and the two women happened upon a break in the wall. It wasn't much. Honestly. Emma had been expecting some sort of grand entrance, perhaps a giant gate with spikes and dozens of armed guards. She wasn't sure if she was disappointed or not.

Regina seemed to have no such problem, slipping through the gap and keeping her body low to the ground. It occurred to Emma that they really weren't camouflaged for winter ninja tactics in the leather and wool clothing that Regina had conjured up for them. White probably wasn't in Regina's set of magical dyes. Emma followed anyway.

"Wait." Regina grabbed at Emma's arm, pulling them up short about one hundred feet from the main palace grounds. "Something's wrong."

Emma nodded. She'd gotten that feeling, too, but hadn't wanted to say anything since she wasn't exactly practiced in storming castles. "It's too quiet."

"Exactly. If she didn't know we were here, there would be at least a few sentries around. And if she'd wanted to stop us..."

"She's expecting us." Emma started to look for an alternate entrance. "Maybe if we scale the inner wall over there...hey!"

Regina had risen to her full height and was striding confidently towards the heavy wooden doors that led to the main part of the palace. She looked every inch the queen.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Haven't you ever played poker, Sheriff?"

"Of course I have, but not with my life!"

"What do you do when you don't have a hand to play?"

Emma rolled her eyes heavenward. Some day, some how, she was going to get Regina to say what she meant the first time. "I don't know. Have a drink?"

"You bluff."

She raised her arms and the doors sprang upon, sending shock waves through the pale blue walls. The doorway opened immediately on the throne room, a long, rectangular, low-ceilinged affair that reminded Emma of a combat bunker more than a royal palace. There was nothing that could pass for comfort within its walls, no furniture save for the giant throne of carved ice, covered in what looked like raw animal skins. The Snow Queen was seated on it and confident in her control.

Emma gasped. Henry sat on the bare, dry ice of the floor, flipping through his book as if his life depended on it. His clothes and hair were covered in frost and his skin tinged slightly blue. At least she could still see the mist of his breath when he exhaled.

Regina clearly saw him, too, and her steps faltered slightly.

Emma's first instinct was to run headlong at the figures, to place herself and her sword between her son and any possible danger, but Regina ghosted her hand over Emma's arm to remind her not to do anything stupid.

Not that Emma would have, of course, but the reminder that the other woman was there felt good.

Regina didn't spare her a glance, silently approaching the Snow Queen with that same powerful gait.

"Really, there are other ways to get my attention." She addressed the queen.

"I wanted to make sure you would come." The Snow Queen's voice was dry, soft and slightly thin, like a snake slipping through grass. Emma hated it immediately.

"Surely you could have simply sent a note? All of this chasing across the land, it's so...uncivilized."

The Snow Queen seemed amused, although Emma couldn't for the life of her figure out why. This was the first time she had seen Regina in full Evil Queen mode, and it was frankly kind of frightening. The complicated woman she had come to know, even the protective mother she had first met, had disappeared. Only a cruel shell was left.

"And the boy?"

"Merely a diversion." Regina waved her hand dismissively. "Nearly twenty years in the same place can get kind of – tiring, without some new blood."

Emma winced and cut her eyes in Henry's direction, wondering what Regina was playing at. He didn't seem to hear them, though – he was as absorbed in his storybook as ever. _Damn_. Something was very, very wrong; something more than the obvious, anyway.

"Indeed. I had wondered how you were enjoying the imp's curse." The Snow Queen rose, floating across the floor to more clearly confront Regina. Emma shifted further away from the two Queen's almost instinctively.

Wait.

Regina had crossed her hands behind her back casually, but she was frantically gesturing at Emma now that they were out of the Snow Queen's direct sight.

_What?_

Her fingers were fluttering, pointing almost at...oh. Henry.

Regina was distracting the Snow Queen in the hope that Emma could get to Henry. Carefully, Emma started edging towards the far wall, trying to make herself look as inconspicuous as possible. It was a long shot but maybe...if the Snow Queen didn't take her seriously, if Regina could keep her distracted, if Emma could get close enough. Too many ifs.

She slipped along the floor, torn between making a run for it and trying to move too slowly to be noticed.

Just a bit further and she could...

"NO!" Regina cried suddenly, and Emma gasped as the breath was forced out of her lungs. Her feet left the ground and she was writhing, twisting in midair.

It wasn't like anything she'd ever heard of, really. Her life didn't flash before her eyes. She didn't see a white light – or the fires of hell. Adrenaline surged through her as soon as her body realized that there was no oxygen. She struggled frantically, but there was nothing for her hands to claw at, and her boots found no purchase. No zen state, no sudden realization of her purpose in life. She felt fear. All-encompassing, driving, animal fear.

And then...nothing.

XxXx

"Emma!" Regina couldn't keep her pretense up as she watched the blonde's body crumple to the ground and she automatically moved toward her. Distractedly, she sent a fireball toward the Snow Queen, but it was merely waved away like an annoying insect.

Which was, Regina realized, probably a fair assessment of her position at this moment.

"Henry!" She didn't know whether she was trying to get his attention or warn him – both – neither, but a blast of magic sent her flying against the walls. The ice – living and breathing and, oh no, Emma – cracked and reformed around her wrists, pinning her.

"Now there will be no more distractions." The Snow Queen's voice did not betray her emotions, if indeed she had any. Her face was as smooth as the ice that surrounded them, and Regina was overwhelmed with the urge to mar it, to claw at it with her bare hands and watch it crack.

"Did you really think you could get away from it, Regina Mills? You, who know better than most the price of magic?"

"I paid it! Please...please, let him go."

"You killed your father, yes, but you paid only the imp. Isn't it always so, that when you make deals with him what he takes is far more than you are expecting? The power of magic must always be balanced, or this world and perhaps others will be destroyed. Or are you so foolish that you thought you could simply remove hundreds of people and vanish into thin air?"

"Then leave Emma and my son out of this." Regina growled. "And take me. If it is my price I will pay it."

"It has always been written that the curse would break if the savior died. When you cast it, you assured her death. There must be balance in all things."

"Why the illusion, then? Why not simply bring us here in the first place? Why send us through the witch and the bandits? Why, damn you?"

"A story may not skip to the end simply because we wish it so. I needed you both. She was not ready to be the savior yet; she had to be tested, to be forged. And you needed to regain what you had once put away. Now the circle is complete. Now we may end it."

Regina whimpered, her mind flashing to a time before the curse was enacted. A time when she would have given almost anything to make sure that Snow White's child would never be a threat to her. A time when she would have killed Emma herself.

She knew she would never be that woman again. Twenty-eight years had changed her. Henry had shown her again what it was to love another person. And Emma...

"What-what will you do?"

"You paid for the curse with blood; now that it is broken, your blood will help heal this world."

"You're going to kill me."

"Yes."

"And Henry?"

"I am not unmerciful. The boy is under an enchantment; he doesn't even know you're here. He will not see you die, and he will be sent unharmed to the other world."

Regina allowed herself a breath of relief. Even though she had lost him in spirit almost a year ago, Henry would live. Emma was d- Emma was gone. The curse was broken.

"I relent."

"Then prepare yourself."

Regina gazed upon her son's face for the last time. He was still turning the pages in his book, his lips moving silently over the words.

"Henry. My darling baby boy. I hope you can hear this somehow; I hope you'll remember." She smiled. "No matter what anyone tells you, I do love you."

Henry's movements paused, his eyelashes fluttering. A single tear slipped down his cheek. So cold was it in the palace of the Snow Queen that the tear froze the moment it left his skin, hardening like glass, light twisting and refracting in its depths before it shattered on the floor.

"Mom?"

"Henry!" Regina cried. "No, please. Don't let him see...make him forget."

"Forget what? Mom, what's going on?" He looked around, spying Emma motionless on the floor and dropped his book in his haste to rush to her side. Regina choked back a sob. "Please..."

But the Snow Queen did nothing, gazing at Regina appraisingly.

"I admit I did not believe you capable of it."

"W-what?"

"Your love for your son has broken my spell. The love of a mother for her child, purer even than that between lovers. Perhaps you have learned something in your isolation." She waved and the ice that held Regina to the wall receded, leaving her in a rather undignified position on the floor. Near the dias an archway appeared, the surface shimmering like a mirage.

"Perhaps you are deserving of a second chance, after all."

The words struck Regina like a physical blow.

"You're letting us go?"

"Where hate has destroyed, love may often heal. I will not lie to you; it will be hard. You will still suffer. But you may try."

The Snow Queen disappeared in a flurry, leaving Regina and Henry alone in the palace.

XxXx

"Mom, Mom! Emma won't wake up; you have to help her, please!" Henry was shaking Emma frantically, as if he could will her into animation if he tried hard enough.

"I can't, Henry. She's gone."

"NO! You have to do something!" Fat tears rolled down his face as Regina took his hand.

"There's nothing I can do. Sometimes stories don't have happy endings."

His small head suddenly shot up. Stories. Happy endings. That was it!

"You have to kiss her."

"What?"

Honestly, why were adults so dense sometimes?

"In the stories, true love's kiss always brings someone back to life. Why didn't I see it before? It makes perfect sense. Emma's your true love."

"Henry...She's – I'm not her true love. It's not possible."

"Why won't you even try?" Henry nearly stamped his foot in frustration. "Just, just try. Once. Please Mom, I promise – if it doesn't work..."

Regina sighed, pushing soft brown hair back from his face. A face that was so like his mother's. So like Emma's. For him, she would try the impossible.

Slowly, gently, as if even the prospect of this working frightened her, Regina kissed Emma's cooling lips. There was no pulse of magic, no breath of life. A sob caught in Regina's throat and her hand tightened around Henry's.

"Henry, I-" _I'm so sorry_, she wanted to say. _I'm sorry I __couldn't be enough._

Henry pressed his face into his mother's shoulder as she remained kneeling over Emma's lifeless body.

"It's okay, Mom. I know." He tried to hide his tears. It was important to be strong for his mom, he knew. What kind of fairy-tale hero's son would he be if he broke down in front of her now?

"Hey-" A cough. "Who died?"

Two pairs of red-rimmed brown eyes focused wildly on Emma. Emma, who was living and breathing and looking very, very worse for the wear. Emma, who had suddenly realized that maybe now was not the time to be joking.

"Shit. Who died?"

A strangled sound tore its way from Regina's throat and she bit down sharply on her hand in an attempt to keep her emotions at bay. It was...impossible. She never thought, never knew… the brunette swayed slightly as a wave of helpless relief washed over her.

But it was true. Emma was here, alive and real, with her arms full of squirmy ten-year-old and a confused but happy expression on her face. It occurred to Regina that she had never seen anything more beautiful.

"You died, Emma!" Henry cried. "You died, but Mom saved you. She brought you back!"

"Let Emma catch her breath, dear." Regina admonished. It was a fruitless gesture, though, as Henry didn't seem to have any intention of letting go of the blonde. Not that she could blame him.

"I died? But how-"

Henry, with a child's remarkable ability to adapt, managed to pull away long enough to give her a look that said he thought she was being particularly obtuse. "True love's kiss. It's the most powerful magic of all."

Green eyes sought brown, but the other woman wouldn't meet her gaze, ducking her head as her face flashed red.

"Regina…you…"

"I – I suppose. And you…?"

Emma gestured to her animate state with a wry smile. "Looks like it. What happened to the Snow Queen?"

"She gave me a second chance. And a way home." She pointed to the empty arch in front of them. Emma raised an eyebrow at her. There was clearly a lot that Regina was leaving out, and she had every intention of dragging the rest of the story out of her as soon as they were home and safe.

"Emma, you need to know – when we return, the curse will be broken. Everyone will know who they really are. They'll know what I did."

"We'll protect you, Mom!" Henry piped up. "Emma's the savior. She'll take care of it."

Emma laughed, pushing herself to a standing position and ruffling Henry's hair.

"That's right, kid. Saving your Mom's kinda my thing now." She drew Regina into her arms; the other woman was shaking and looked like she was still in shock. Dead. She had been dead; actually, really dead. And Regina had awoken her with a kiss, just like in a fucking fairy tale. Maybe shock wasn't such a bad thing to be in right now, Emma thought, but she quickly re-focused on the trembling woman, lowering her head just enough to whisper in her ear.

"Hey, it's gonna be okay. I'm fine."

"I thought – I thought you were gone."

"Nah, you know me. Harder to get rid of than a bad habit."

Regina chuckled lightly. "I don't know. What about all those different places you bounced around to?"

"I'm never going to live that down, am I? Damn, woman." She tightened her embrace around Regina and inhaled slightly, reveling in the scent and feel and overwhelming comfort of it. It wasn't something she'd been looking for, no. It had crept up on her, during long cold nights of sleeping next to each other and days of sniping that had turned into teasing, and then to something else. Something she hadn't had a name for until now.

"You weren't there."

"Hmm?"

"All those places I went, you weren't there. So I left."

Regina pressed a loving kiss to Emma's jaw and let out a ragged breath. These feelings, once suppressed but now shockingly acknowledged, were going to take some getting used to.

"Go get your book, Henry. We should leave soon."

Henry jogged over to the icy dais, picking up his story book and brushing off the few crystals of ice that still clung to its cover. The embossed gold lettering glinted up at him, refracted through the snow. 'Once Upon a Time.' There were no more blank pages to be discovered, no more stories he didn't already know. He had read the book cover to cover, had memorized every word, searching for a way home that he had never found. Glancing back at his mothers, wrapped up in each others arms, he wondered if the Snow Queen had lied to him. No. Not really. He had found something, although it wasn't what he had been looking for. The fairy tales in the book might have been real, once, but they were over now. Just stories. He was living his own fable now, with a wicked queen and a savior and true love and even dragons. Best of all, this time he got to be the hero a little bit, too. What more could an almost-eleven-year-old boy want?

Henry placed the book on the Snow Queen's throne, nudging it into a perfectly even square in the same way he arranged his comic books at home. It didn't have anything else to tell him.

He didn't need it anymore.

XxXx

"Just so we're clear, this doesn't mean I like you." Somehow, the words didn't have their usual bite, though that might have been due to the small half-smile tugging at the edges of Regina's mouth. Emma, never one for subtlety, grinned widely. They were about step into a completely different world where there would very likely be an angry mob calling for Regina's head, and Emma would come face-to-face with the parents who had abandoned her twenty-eight years ago in order to save her from a curse cast by the woman she was currently head-over-heels in love with.

Somehow, with one arm draped over her son's shoulders and the other around her true love's waist, none of that mattered. This was what family felt like.

This was what home felt like.

So Emma grinned and kissed Regina thoroughly, reveling in the magic that skittered across her skin at the contact. It had always been between them, she realized, even when they couldn't stand to look at each other or be in the same room without fighting.

"Well that's good, because I don't like you either."

Suddenly having a destiny didn't seem so bad.


End file.
